MICROSCOPIC GARDENING. 



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laboratory for the isolation, transplantation, and growth of fungi 

 from single spores. 



Having found a gelatinous medium in which a fungus will 

 grow, we proceed as follows. A glass chamber with a very thin 

 detachable roof is baked in an oven, and allowed to cool ready 

 for use. The spores of the fungus are then shaken up in the 

 melted gelatine-medium freed from other spores, so that they are 

 separated and distributed in its mass, and the whole poured into 

 a larger baked and cooled shallow glass dish, and allowed to set 

 solid as a thin transparent film. This is kept covered, and every 

 precaution taken to prevent access of spores from outside. 



In a few days the tiny fungus-plants appear, scattered at 

 intervals over the bed of gelatine, and if there are no other 

 species appearing than the one sown, we know the culture is 

 pure, and ready for transplanting. 



A few of the spores from one plant are now again shaken up 

 in the melted gelatine-medium and a small drop transferred to 

 the thin glass roof of a little glass house. Here the gelatine- 

 drop soon sets, and is so placed that it hangs down from the 

 under- side of the thin glass roof, and since both the hanging 

 gelatine-drop and the glass roof are thin and transparent the 

 microscope can be focussed and the spore observed. If the 

 microscope shows that the drop contains only one spore, it is 

 now allowed to grow under the microscope, and all its changes 

 can be followed for many days without danger of weed-fungi 

 getting into the closed Liliputian greenhouse. 



Various modifications of this procedure are known, and many 

 small precautions must be carefully followed, but we see that 

 here is a method of growing a microscopic plant in a minute 

 artificial bed of prepared soil, and studying its behaviour in a 

 closed miniature greenhouse, the temperature, moisture, lighting, 

 and ventilation of which can all be kept under control — a verita- 

 ble method of microscopic transplanting and greenhouse culture 

 in fact. 



Of course it is troublesome, and often difficult and tedious ; 

 but the splendid results that have been obtained by patiently 

 persevering with these and similar procedures have quite 

 warranted the steady development of these methods of micro- 

 scopic gardening. 



Many practices of the gardener to ' force ' flowers are known, 



