CHAPTER XXV 



FUNGI AND BACTERIA 



THE purpose of the lessons on fungi is to help the 

 boys and girls gain a more intelligent idea of fungous 

 diseases of plants and how to combat them, as well as of 

 the fungi that attack fruits, vegetables, bread, etc. We 

 should begin the study with some of the larger forms, so 

 that the pupils may get a proper notion of the habits and 

 method of reproduction of fungi in general. 



Mushrooms and Toadstools. Have the children bring 

 in a number of mushrooms. They will probably call them 

 toadstools. The common meadow mushroom is usually 

 abundant in the fall, so are a number of cluster mushrooms 

 that grow at the base of old stumps. Where are mush- 

 rooms found growing? By discussion it will be brought 

 out that they are found in the woods, around stumps, on 

 trees, in meadows, around barns, etc. 



How many parts do you find in your mushroom ? The 

 stem is called the stipe, the umbrellalike part, the pileus. 

 You may find small whitish threads attached to the end 

 of the stipe. These make up the mycelium which pene- 

 trates the ground or stump or whatever the mushroom may 

 be growing upon. What do you find on the under side of 

 the pileus ? Those leaflike flaps are called gills. What are 

 they for ? To answer this question break the stem out of 

 the pileus and then lay the pileus on a piece of white paper 



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