TISSUE CULTURES. 



19 



the following summer, or as other fleshy fungi appeared in the open, 

 cultures were made from other forms in order to determine the 

 general ai^plicability of the method. The experiments were success- 

 ful in most cases, although it was found almost impossible to obtain 

 certain species of fungi in a condition young enough to be free from 

 bacterial infestation. In general, the method seemed to commend 

 itself strongly as a means of procuring pure cultures of desirable 

 edible species, particularly of those species the spores of which could 

 not be obtained pure or which could not be readily germinated. 



During the two subsequent seasons this method lias been employed 

 with a great variety of fungi representing many natural orders. No 

 systematic endeavor has been made to determine the limitations of 

 the tissue-culture method as applied to Basidiomycetes, but, inci- 

 dental to the general studies, cultures have been made from forms 

 differing very widely, not only in relationship but also in texture and 

 in habitat. 



In all there is a record of 69 species having been tested upon one 

 or another u)edium. In a few cases the cultures have invariably been 

 contaminated, and it is to be supposed, perhaps, that the plants were 

 collected in a condition too old for the purpose in hand. In only 

 about ten forms has it seemed that there is no evident reason for the 

 failure to develop mycelium. Of the remainder fully 40 have grown 

 promptly on the media employed. The table following indicates the 

 names of the species employed and the results obtained. It must be 

 said, however, that cultures of a number of species were made of 

 which no record was kept; among these, also, some grew and some 

 failed. 



Table IV. — Results obtained from different si)ecies. 



n oc indicates an indefinite nuTiber. 



