502 Physiologie. — Fungi. — Bacteria. 



Mac Fadyen, Allan and Sydney, Rowland, On the Suspen- 

 sion of lifeat low temperatures. (Journ. Soc. Arts. 

 L. 1902. p. 862—863.) 



This is an abstract of a paper read before Section K 

 (Botany) at the British Association Meeting at Belfast. The 

 authors subjected various bacteria to the temperature of liquid 

 hydrogen, about — 252° C, and after ten hours' exposure, 

 there was no appreciable effect on their subsequent growth. 

 Another set of experiments was conducted at the temperature 

 of liquid air; six months' exposure of pathogenic bacteria and 

 yeast, showed there was no impairment of the vitality of these 

 organisms. B. Daydon Jackson. 



Earle, F. S., Akeyto the North American species of 

 Russula. (Torreya. II. p. 117 — 120.) 



A key te 59 species oi Russula. P. Spaulding. 



Earle, F. S., A key to the North American species of 



Lactarlus. Torreya. II. p. 139 — 141.) 



Gives the characteristics of the group with a key of 76 species. 

 36 of these are known only in America; the remainder are common to 

 America and Europe. P. Spaulding. 



Harding, H. A. and Stewart, F. C, A Bacterial S oftrot of 



certain Cruciferous Plants and Amorphophalus 677//- 



lense. Science. XVI. p. 314 — 315.) 



A softrot of certain cruciferous plants, especially cabbages and 

 cauliflower, have been under Observation for several years. During epi- 

 demics of blackrot (Pseudomonas campestris) much damage is often done 

 by softrot. This has been supposed to be another form of Ps. cam- 

 pestris, but it was found to occur with but little or none of the Ps. cam- 

 pestris. The cabbage seed crop of Long Island is much damaged by 

 the softrot some years. In storage the cabbages are attacked in the 

 stein just below the head ; in the fiele! this part of the stem rots causing 

 a sudden wilting and death while the plant is in bloom. In August. 

 September and Öctober successful inoculations were made from pure 

 eultures of an organism obtained from rotten cabbages. The rot pro- 

 gressed much more rapidly on young thrifty plants than on old woody 

 ones. At first the rot appears as a slight discoloration, works very 

 rapidly for a few days, then stops or works much more slowly. At first 

 the rotten tissue is soft, mushy, and watersoaked in appearance, then 

 dries up and nearly disappears, leaving a cavity lined with shreds of 

 dry blackened tissue. Successful tests were made on cabbage, cauli- 

 flower, kohlrabi, Brüssels sprouts, carrot, turnip, radish, potato, onion 

 and parsnip. Behavior of parallel eultures of softrot and Bacillus caro- 

 tovorus Jones showed that they are very closely related if not identical. 

 Several other germs obtained from rutabagas, stored and seed cabbages, 

 and Amorphophalus simlense were also tested. Several bacterial forms 

 were found that produced violent softrot of cabbages, cauliflowers, and 

 several other crueifers. At least four of them attack Amorphophalus 

 simlense. The relationship of these several bacterial forms is not fully 

 worked out, but indications show them to be closely related to each 

 other and to Bacillus carotovorus, yet presenting differences which rank 

 them as varieties of Bacillus carotovorus, or possibly as species. 



P. Spaulding. 



