Some observations on the development of Colletotrichum 
lindemuthianum in artificial cultures. 
GEO. F. ATKINSON. 
WITH PLATE XXIl. 
Several times during the summer of 1893 I attempted to 
obtain a pure culture of the bean anthracnose for the purpose 
of noting its behavior in artificial media. Dilution cultures 
were attempted in the ordinary agar-agar peptone broth, 
from material recently collected but which had dried. None 
of the spores germinated. Thinking that the nutrient agar 
might be an unfavorable medium for their growth, cell cul- 
tures were started in water to test the vitality of the spores. 
The spores here likewise failed to germinate for me. This 
seemed surprising, for related forms of Gloeosporium and Col- 
letotrichum of quite a number of species have never failed to 
germinate promptly even after several months drying. 
Some of the material from which the attempts were first 
made was used in the dilutions within three days after pick- 
ing the fresh pods of the bean, which contained the spores of 
the fungus in great numbers, and they had not been dry for more 
than twenty-four hours. Still they failed to germinate for 
me. Several other attempts were made during the autumn 
of the same year with like failures. 
During February of the following year, 1894, preparations 
were made for another attempt at obtaining a pure culture of 
the fungus. Since the fungus is perennial in matured beans 
which are affected, it was planned to obtain diseased but ma- 
ture and dry beans, and then grow them in order to obtain 
in the laboratory freshly developed spores. Accordingly 
requests were made from several leading seedsmen for badly 
Cultures. Some very fine specimens w 
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