W. N. C. Belgrave 



ISO 



Germination readily took place in twenty-four hours at room 

 temperature (summer) in all natural nutriment media, e.g. grape juice, 

 fruit extracts stiffened with agar or gelatine, and plum wood extract. 

 Moistened strips of plum wood and solid media, such as carrots or 

 potatoes, also gave good results. 



No germination took place in distilled, rain, or tap water, or in 

 water collected after slowly trickling down a healthy plum shoot. 



The limits of vitality of the spores are not known, although (a) spores 

 readily germinated after five days' soaking in water, when some nutrient 

 material was added, (b) spores from tendrils which had been kept for 

 four months in the dry laboratory air readily germinated, (c) spores 



Fig. 7. 



Fig. 8. 



from tendrils which had been kept three months in culture vessels in 

 a saturated atmosphere, likewise germinated. These facts indicate 

 considerable vitality within wide limits. 



Germination tests were also carried out with artificial media. In 

 those containing no nitrogen, such as solutions of glucose, saccharose, 

 or either of these with the addition of phosphates, no germination took 

 place. On the addition of nitrogen in simple combinations, such as 

 ammonium salts, only a slight swelling resulted. Ammonium tartrate 

 and non-poisonous nitrates give better results, and small germ-tubes 

 were produced. The addition of organic nitrogen, e.g. peptone or albu- 

 men, brought about normal germination. 



The details of germination are similar to those described by Ader- 

 hold (1). The sickle-shaped spores enlarge considerably, and in about ten 



