38 NATURE STUDY. 



C^x A The spore, however, is 



&v 



a "e 



not have the structure 

 of a seed. It has no 

 seed coats, no cotyle- 

 dons, and no embryo. 

 It is very minute and 

 consists of a single cell, 

 while a seed of a flower- 

 ing plant may have mil- 

 Ions of cells in it. A. 

 \>2 /-j single spore is very small 



and requires a good 



Fig. 15 Spores of fungi, highly magnified; a. ot 

 Fig. 16; b, of Fig. 14; c, of Fig. 18; d, of Fig, 22. miCrOSCOpe to SCC it Well. 



The shape of the spores of each kind of mushroom is peculiar to 

 it. Fig. 1 5 shows four forms of spores. 



The mushroom discharges countless numbers of these minute 

 spores, which are borne on the wind over great areas of the earth. 

 The spore that lodges in a place just suitable, as far as moisture, 

 heat and food are concerned, begins to grow by sprouting out a 

 minute and delicate thread. This absorbs food and water, grows 

 further and then sends off minute thread-like branches. The 

 branches continue the same method of growth and branching 

 until the soil, the rotting stump or whatever the mushrooms 

 flourishes upon is penetrated by a great mass of these fine threads. 

 If we could get them out they would look just like the white cot- 

 tony mass, which, in the form of mould sometimes is seen upon 

 bread or on the top of fruit in jars. It is so delicate that it is im- 

 possible to extricate it from the soil entire, but we can see at the 

 bottom of the mushroom stem, the large white cords looking like 

 roots, which are made up of great numbers of these threads run- 

 ning into the stem. These white threads are called the mycelium 

 or spawn. When one buys of the seedman spawn of mushroom 

 for propagating them for the table, what he obtains is a block of 



