MATERIAL LIABLE TO MOLD 47 



Material which is Liable to Mold 



Since molds are fungi, they require to be fed with organic 

 food. Hence they are unable to live, as green plants can, 

 in purely mineral soil. Indeed, they do not grow readily 

 anywhere except upon rich food, and they grow best when 

 feeding upon the same kind of foods that animals require. 

 Whatever contains organic material will support them. 

 They feed readily upon bread, cheese, or meat, and they 

 can also support themselves upon leather or upon woolen 

 or cotton cloth. Some molds grow easily upon damp 

 wood ; but although thus capable of living upon almost 

 anything except mineral matter, they grow much more 

 readily on some materials than on others. 



Of common foods, cheese is probably the one that 

 molds most readily, partly because it is always more or, 

 less moist, and partly because it is quite sure to be inoc- 

 ulated with mold spores. Wheat flour, or any material 

 made from it, like bread or cake, is sure to mold if kept 

 sufficiently moist and warm. A "mustiness " of the flour in 

 the flour barrel is occasionally noticed, and the molding of 

 bread is a common occurrence. All other forms of flour 

 and meal, as well as articles made from them, mold readily 

 enough. Even pickles will occasionally mold ; for the 

 intense acid of the vinegar, while it quite prevents the 

 action of the common putrefactive organisms, does not 

 necessarily stop the growth of molds. In short, almost 

 any of the foods which are found in the pantry may, under 

 certain conditions, show mold growth upon their surfaces. 



Molding is not confined to food in the pantry, for other 

 substances which contain organic material can furnish 



