. Fungi and fungicides; a practical manual, concerning the fungous diseases of cultivated plants and the means of preventing their ravages . eatly from each other; some rank comparativelyhigh in the scale of existence, and others rank low. As an illustration of the higher fungi, we may takeone of the mushrooms so common in our fields and woods. This plant repro-duces by means of spores—minute bodies, corres-ponding in function to theseeds of higher one of these sporesfalls npon a moist soil,rich in decaj^ing organicmatter, it germinates bysending out a little tube—much as the kern
. Fungi and fungicides; a practical manual, concerning the fungous diseases of cultivated plants and the means of preventing their ravages . eatly from each other; some rank comparativelyhigh in the scale of existence, and others rank low. As an illustration of the higher fungi, we may takeone of the mushrooms so common in our fields and woods. This plant repro-duces by means of spores—minute bodies, corres-ponding in function to theseeds of higher one of these sporesfalls npon a moist soil,rich in decaj^ing organicmatter, it germinates bysending out a little tube—much as the kernel ofcorn sends out its germi-nating radicle—and thistube, after penetrating thesoil a short distance, sendsout side branches, which push about between the decay-ing organic particles, absorbing nourishment from branches, in turn, send out other l)ranches, andthese form what is called the mycelium, or vegetativeportion of the fungus ; this continues developing be-neath the surface for some time. Finally an unusualdevelopment of mycelium takes place at one or a fewpoints, and from these there are rapidly produced a few. FIG. 1. MUSHROOM. PARASITIC rUKGI O miislirooms, which may be sent up into the air above thesoil surface in a single night. Each mushroom (Fig. 1)consists of a stem commonly surmounted by an umbrella-like cap, on the under side of wliich are many thin ver-tical jilates. Between thece plates vast numbers ofspores are soon produced, to fall to the ground, or to bewafted hither and thither by the winds. As soon as thespores are ripe the fungus dies. It will be noted thatthis plant has no chlorophyll,and is simply nourished bydead and decaying organicmatter. Fungi like this aresaid to be sapropliytes, orsaiJropliytic, a w^ord meaningliving on decaying plants, as a rule, do nodirect injury to other kindsof vegetable life. There are many kind;^ offungi which, instead of livingupon dead or decaying organicmatter, develop at the expenseof
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectpathoge, bookyear1896
