XXXVi PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



upon theru. They were forwarded to Kew for further investi- 

 gation. 



Germination of Mushrooms. — Inquiries were made by Mr. 

 Baker, of Cobham Park, as to somewhat contradictory statements 

 in books upon this subject, as in Mr. J. Wright's " Primer of 

 Horticulture " it is stated that it has been observed, whereas in 

 Dr. Scott's " Flowerless Plants" (page 268), it appears to have 

 never been seen. Mr. W. G. Smith, having been, appealed to by 

 the Secretary for his opinion, writes as follows :— " I have many 

 times seen the spores of the Mushroom and its allies germin- 

 ating. With me they have often quickly germinated on glass, 

 and more often on moist blotting paper. The fungi must be 

 allowed to shed their ripe spores on to the moist paper. After a 

 day or two a damp microscopic slide must be placed upon the 

 part of the damp paper where the spores have fallen, and it will 

 often happen that some will be found to have germinated. I 

 have seen the germinating examples whilst drawing the spores 

 with a camera lucida. . . . Messrs. Wood of Wood Green 

 managed to get spawn of the Morel (from material sent by me) 

 to germinate and form spawn. I once exhibited before the K.H.S. 

 examples of Coprinus atramentarius raised by me from spores. 

 This species can be easily raised (and it is not very far removed 

 from the Mushroom) from spore to perfect fungus. The time it 

 takes is three months. I believe some of the French manu- 

 facturers of Mushroom spawn have raised Mushrooms direct 

 from the spores. The spores of some of the allies of the Mush- 

 room germinate readily in expressed juice of horse dung. I have 

 many times seen them, and am not the only person who has 

 seen them on glass." 



Trametes radicepcrda, Hartig. — Dr.Plowright sent a specimen 

 of this fungus " to illustrate the mode in which it developes its 

 hymenophore upon the roots of an affected Scotch Fir. The 

 hymenium is resupinate. The fungus finds an entrance into the 

 roots of living Fir trees by the extremities of the mycelian hyplnc 

 insinuating themselves between the bark scales. It rapidly 

 extends between the living bark and wood, and soon reaches the 

 wood itself, which it at once destroys. The mycelium can travel 

 in the ground from tree to tree." 



Barley -smut. — Dr. Plowright also sent the following com- 

 munication upon the injurious effect of this fungus upon the 



