122 HISTOEY AND CAUSE OF THE COCONUT BUD-ROT. 



thin they are colorless or transparent. They do not have a perfectly smooth 

 surface, the tiny colonies, especially, appearing more or less conical. All of 

 these plates are identical with one another. 



Doubtless these plates were too thickly sown for a characteristic 

 reaction. At any rate, the yellowish-brown color said to be produced 

 by Bacillus coli was entirety lacking, while on the other hand the 

 slightly bluish color considered characteristic of Bacillus typJiosus 

 on this medium was seen in the colonies where the medium was 

 extremely thin. 



elsner's potato medium. 



Cultures were made on Eisners potato medium several times, but 

 in each instance the medium became liquefied owing to the high 

 temperature, so that no satisfactory results were obtained. Finally 

 the poured plates were put in a temperature of about 15° C. Within 

 two days tiny white colonies appeared. They were rather numerous, 

 so that even after several days they did not become large. The 

 smallest colonies appeared colorless or white, the larger ones a very 

 liglit bro\vn. The distinct brown color in the colonies, said to be 

 characteristic of growth on this medium, failed to appear. The 

 medium was made up according to the method given in Novy's 

 Laboratory Work in Bacteriology, page 490. 



COCONUT absorbent-organ CYLINDERS. 



The absorbent organ of the coconut consists entirely of a spongy 

 tissue which by the time the coconut is well sprouted, completely 

 or almost fills the entire nut. In it are enzymes which convert the 

 insoluble food material in the coconut meat into soluble material for 

 the use of the gro%\ang plant. This organ is in actual contact with the 

 meat, at least in the upper end, and thus is able to conduct the con- 

 verted material directly into the young shoots. The arrangement 

 of these parts is seen in Plate XL In order to see if there was food 

 material in the absorbent organ sufficient for the growth of the 

 coconut organism, cylinders were steamed in the usual way and the 

 tubes were inoculated with cultures of the coconut organism and 

 with Bacillus coli. The tubes were then incubated at 37° C. The 

 results were as follows: 



After 1 day: All the tubes were moderately clouded and all but coconut No. 1 b 

 and Bacillus coli (Ilitchingy) a and b had produced some gas. 



After 2 days: Only a tiny bubble or so of gaa in some of the tubes; no signs of rotting 

 of the cylinders. 



After 6 days: No gas; moderately clouded; no signs of rotting of the cylinders. 



After 27 days: Same appearance; the organisms seem to have been able to grow 

 well in the water but not to affect the tissues of the cylinders. 



228 



