96 
In addition to the above general summary, a fuller discussion 
of experimental methods and results will be found useful for the 
special student of this subject. 
EXPERIMENTAL METHODS. 
The culture apparatus used was in all cases either the common 
test tube with a cotton plug, or a glass fruit jar of the “Mason 
pattern (usually of a capacity of two quarts), the metal cap of 
which screws on to the top of the jar with a fiat rubber ring 
intervening. The caps were altered by closely soldering a tin tube 
into an opening in the top of each (see Plate V., Fig 1), as a 
safeguard against accidental infection by bacteria when the spores 
were sown upon the medium, and also for the purpose of con¬ 
venient plugging with cotton as a subsequent protection. 
In charging this jar with the culture medium, the metal cap 
was removed and the jar was partly filled with the corn-meal bat¬ 
ter, mixed barely thin enough to settle smoothly, and was then 
placed upon its side, so that the mixture collecting at .the lower 
part of the jar might present as large a surface as possible for 
the growth of the fungus. This culture jar worked very satisfac¬ 
torily, any secondary infection of the culture rarely interfering 
with the growth and complete development of the Sporotrichum. 
The cover of the jar was of course removed to get access to 
its contents, and if it was desired to preserve the culture for some 
time without deterioration, the jars were left open until the con¬ 
tents were dried out. (See Plate VI.) It was found that such 
dried masses of corn meal, with surfaces covered by Sporotrichum 
growths, could be readily and successfully freshened and revived 
after some months by simply moistening the mass. 
The various experimental cultures of the season were greatly 
interfered with by the pressure of more practical operations, and 
little was added to our previous knowledge of the subject. The 
growths on peptonized agar were invariably prompt and profuse, 
exceptiug where the medium was too highly acid, or where the 
temperature approximated 100° Fah. (See Nos. 29-35 and 48-o0.) 
Growth from the spores at ordinary temperatures was commonly 
noticeable by the second day; sometimes Dot until the third. 
Heads of spores were visibly formed on the fifth or sixth day, and 
were ripe on the eighth day, at the earliest. It was found that 
the fungus grew more profusely and luxuriantly on an acidulated 
medium than on an alkaline or neutral one.* (No. 29, etc.) A 
mixture of raw corn meal with water in which potatoes had been 
boiled was apparently better adapted for the culture of Sporotri¬ 
chum than the batter of corn meal and beef broth, but this con¬ 
clusion requires verification. The growth on these corn-meal 
mixtures was always at least as prompt and generous as on the 
agar. 
*This conclusion must be taken with reserve until verified. 
