137 



AN ASCOBACTERIUM FROM THE SUGAR-CANE, 



WITH NOTES UPON THE NATURE 



OF THE SLIME 



(Bacterium sacchari, n.sp.) 



By R. Greig Smith, M.Sc, Macleay Bacteriologist to the 



Society. 



(Plate vi.) 



During an investigation into the gummosis of the sugar-cane 

 an organism was met with great frequency ; in fact, so often was 

 it found that I cannot but regard it as a normal inhabitant of 

 the cane. In nine cases out of ten it was found in tubes of media 

 inoculated in the fields from the gum of diseased plants, and also 

 from the juice of healthy stalks. It was also separated in the 

 laboratory from the tissue of gummed Rappoe, and of healthy 

 Malabar and Tanna canes. The organism was peculiar, inasmuch 

 as under certain conditions it formed asci, which are well defined 

 masses of capsulated bacteria. The conditions under which these 

 were produced included growth upon a solid medium and the 

 presence of a sugar. 



The asci were occasionally formed in fluid media, but only when 

 the layer of fluid was shallow, and the bacteria grew as a ring- 

 around the junction of the surface with the glass. The solid 

 medium which was most suited to the growth of the bacterium, 

 and for the formation of asci was cane gelatine, which is prepared 

 by dissolving 10 per cent, of gelatine in cane juice, or in strong- 

 diffusion liquor, and neutralising the medium to phenolphthalein 

 with dilute potassium hydrate. 



