




1901 | GERMINATION OF SPORES 43 
washed with ether. As a standard nutrient-salt solution the 
following well-known formula was adopted : 
Ammonium nitrate - - : - - 1.0 gram 
Acid potassic phosphate - - - Ob 2 
Magnesium sulfate - . - - Ak RG ee 
Iron sulfate - - - - - - Trace 
Cane sugar - - - - - - 3-5 grams, 
Water - - - -* too" 
As a standard salt solution the above formula has been used 
without the sugar, the osmotic influence being neglected as of 
little consequence in comparison with the desirability of having 
equivalent salt constituents. The experiments with the so-called 
paraffin water resulted from a test of the value of a paraffin 
lining for flasks in which distilled water was to be used or kept 
on hand. 
It is evident that so far as the fungi are culturable only 
pure cultures should be used for inoculation purposes. It is 
desirable, moreover, to avoid old cultures, and cultures which 
have been exposed to direct sunlight. When possible, I have 
used spores from cultures five to ten days old. 
EXPERIMENTAL. 
Table I will serve as the basis of some general comparisons 
with regard to the amount of germination on various nutrient 
media. In general a perfect food is the best stimulus for the 
germination of saprophytic forms, but in particular cases special 
stimuli are necessary. The standard organic solution has for 
germination purposes less strength than decoctions of plants. 
Generally speaking, the standard inorganic solution has about the 
value of sugar, except for the Mucoraceae. There is considerable 
difference, however, even with related species of fungi. 
Of the purely saprophytic fungi studied, Oedocephalum albidum 
is the only one capable of germinating to considerable extent on 
pure water. This one exception is suggestive in that it is not 
necessarily a characteristic of saprophytic fungi that the spores 
do not contain within themselves the nourishment required for 
8ermination. Botrytis, though parasitic at times, would further 
