REPORT OF THE SOCIETY 83 



Tlie sporidium is then abstrict-d and geiminated. The latter form may he con- 

 sidered the normal typo. 



In my own germination tests observations of sporidia formation were prac- 

 tically lacking, due perhaps to the rapidity with which the process takes place. 



The material which was used for m}^ first set of germination tests and 

 inoculations was procured on February 26 from abed of hollyhocks situated in 

 front of the Chemistry Building at Macdonald College. The material had 

 been subjected to the full severity of the winter's frost. According to the college 

 records the thermometer registered as low as — 35 degrees Fah. during this 

 period and the mean temperature for January-February was about 9 degrees F. 

 These temperatures represent the average winter temperatures for the region so 

 that the retained vitality of the teliospores could not be due to an unusually 

 mild winter. 



Various sori on different parts of the plants were first examined to deter- 

 mine, b}^ means of the empty spores, the percentage of teliospores that had 

 already germinated in situ. It was very difficult to arrive at any definite per- 

 centage as the spores in some sori were almost entirely germinated while in 

 others as high as fifty per cent were still ungerminated. As an approximate 

 determination I would say that about 75% of the teliospores had germinated 

 before this date. 



The ungerminated teliospores may be due to late infection in the fall, the 

 teliospores remaining dormant in the winter and becoming mature in the spring; 

 or due to the fact that the spores in the individual sorus mature at different 

 times, the younger spores in some of the older sori may be immature when 

 winter comes and may not mature until the following spring. 



Teliospores were placed in water obtain' d from melted snow in Van 

 Tieghem cells. Germination was noted in twenty-four hours. About twelve 

 percent of total germination of the ungerminated spores was obtained. 



Three healthy hollyhocks were inoculated by placing teliospores on the 

 under surface of the leaf. The plants were thoroughly watered and placed 

 under a bell-jar. On March 13 a single sorus was observed on each of the 

 leaves infected. Permanent slides were made of sections through these sori 

 and examined. Teliospores in different stages of m,aturity were noted. Mate- 

 rial was also gathered at later dates up until the end of March. Germination 

 tests and further inoculations were made. 



Three additional plants were inoculated in a hke manner, two of which 

 became infected. On the one plant only a single sorus was prochiced while 

 on the other plaixt a group of six sori were produced on the one leaf. It was 

 noted that material collected during dry and warm weather would not germi- 

 nate. Some of these sori were placed on the leaves of healthy plants in an 

 endeavor to produce infection but success was not obtained due perhaps to 

 scarcity of inoculum. 



