The Cultivation of the Fungi. 313 
about the immediate germination of most fungus-spores, except in 
the case of those which must pass through a preliminary resting- 
period. With certain Fungi, however, e.g., Leotia, Geoglossimi, 
etc., among the Ascomycetes and Lycoperdon, Gcaster, Phallus, 
etc., among the Basidiomycetes, all attempts to procure the 
germination of their spores have so far yielded negative results. It 
is possible that they require a longer resting-period before they will 
germinate than has yet been allowed to them. 
The need of high temperatures approximating to those of 
warm-blooded animals to bring about the germination of the spores 
of coprophilous Fungi has already been mentioned. The reverse 
has been found to be the case in Tilletia caries, the spores of which 
germinate imperfectly or not at all at temperatures exceeding 20°C, 
while at lower temperatures, even down to 6"C, most of them will 
germinate. 
The power of vegetative reproduction possessed by the 
fructifications of the Basidiomycetes is not generally known. 
Almost any part of the stipe or the young pileus of some forms, 
when placed in dung decoction, will produce a mycelium, in its turn 
bearing the fructifications. The conditions essential to bring about 
this are, that the pieces employed for this purpose must be carefully 
cut out and handled, that the nutrient solution employed must not 
be that too concentrated and, that the pieces must be only laid on 
the solution and not entirely submerged. This method of propagation 
affords manifest advantages in the case of those species of which 
the spores are difficult to germinate. 
The methods previously considered deal principally with the 
employment of clear nutrient solutions to bring about the germin¬ 
ation of the spores, or to start the growth of the Fungus in other 
ways. To follow the further growth of the germinated spores, 
especially with those forms in which the mature fructifications 
reach a considerable size, solid substrata have to be used. The 
substances recommended by Brefeld are chiefly those from which 
the nutrient solutions were prepared and of these lumps of fresh 
horse-dung take the first place. The lumps may be sterilised in 
glass-dishes provided with a cover, and in this condition can be kept 
for any length of time without giving off any perceptible odour. 
Plums soaked in water, or the dried fructifications of the larger 
Fungi steeped in water or in nutrient solutions, prove very suitable 
for the cultivation of certain species. 
But the objection to these substances when employed in bulk 
is that they are not sufficiently porous, and insufficient access of 
air exercises an unfavourable influence on the growth of many 
Fungi. Two substances in which this disadvantage is absent are 
bread and sawdust. Fresh bread whqn well baked is practically 
sterile, but if the cultures are likely to be of some duration, slices 
cut with a sterile knife may be further sterilised by heating to a 
temperature of 50° to 60"C a few times at intervals of two or three 
days. This temperature must not be exceeded because the physical 
characters of the bread on which its value largely depends, are 
thereby altered. The slices of bread may be damped before 
sterilisation with any nutrient solution. 
Many Fungi grown on this medium attain to a most luxuriant 
