[Vor. 8 
332 ANNALS OF THE MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN 
experiments reported in this paper. Various additions of beet 
decoction to solutions of mannite invariably allow stimulation 
of germination with A. niger and B. cinerea. In both cases the 
germination quantities and the range of favorable germination 
approach those offered by the beet decoction alone and practi- 
cally no resemblance to those furnished by the mannite solutions 
is recognizable. In the case of B. cinerea, the degree of stimu- 
lation near the alkaline extreme varies directly with the quantity 
AINA 
ge 
o] 
ee 
r7 
Pai 
W \ 
A 
Q 
Fbrcenfage í Cer mina tion è 
NN 
| 
/ 
2 3 + P e 7 é 9 Z 
> 
Fig. 35. Fusarium sp. in “water H;PO, and NaOH" (25°C.). 
of added beet decoction, but no such relation seems to exist in 
the case of A. niger. Duggar (’01) reports a similar stimulation 
of certain fungous spores in plant decoctions or infusions. He 
obtained various small percentages of germination of Coprinus 
fimetarius in different vegetable decoctions, but otherwise no 
germination. Coprinus micaceus gave little or no germination 
in all solutions containing no plant decoction, but furnished 
perfect germination in bean and dung decoctions. Since plant 
decoctions are such excellent growth media, it would seem that 
the stimulus to germination would be a food stimulus. Duggar 
designed and conducted experiments to determine the stimulus 
in such cases, and, while this most complicated matter is still 
unsolved, his statement is as applicable to-day as it was originally, 
namely: ‘‘If the stimulus is that of food, it must be considered 
in the class of peculiar foods. " 
