156 



to two-thirds grown tomatoes was selected for experimentation. Two of 

 tlie tomatoes were inoculated by introducing the germs into the tissues of 

 the fruit with a sterilized needle. In order to note the effect of the injury 

 from needle puncture the tliird fruit in the cluster was pimctured with a 

 sterilized needle, while the fourth was reserved for control. All inocula- 

 tions were made on the north side of the fruit in order to avoid any action 

 of the sun upon the wounds. Three days later the tissues surrounding the 

 infected portions of the first two fruits had begun to grow darker. From 

 this time on the progress of the disease was quite rapid No ill effects 

 could be noted on the fruit punctured with the sterilized needle, both of 

 the latter fruits remaining perfectly healthy. 



In comparing the action of the disease produced 'n the artificially in- 

 oculated fruit with that of one naturally infected, it will be noted that 

 with the exception of the first appearance of the disease their action was 

 entirely different. In the natural infected fruit there was no offensive 

 odor, the disease rarely affected the Avhole fruit, and never caused a 

 sloughing of the cell tissues, as did the artificial infections. The wide 

 difference in the action of the germ in the natural and artificially infected 

 fruits may indicate that thej^ were not the same, although looking so much 

 alike, or it may be explained by supposing that in the naturally infected 

 fruits the epidermis, not being broken, excludes all putrefactive bacteria. 

 The putrefactive bacteria having access through the wound caused by 

 artificial inoculation, feed upon the tissues destroyed by the inoculated 

 germ, and thus the two acting in conjunction make the destruction of the 

 fruit much more rapid and complete. The uniformity of the results ob- 

 tained seems to favor the latter assumption. 



SUMMARY. 



A decay of green fruits on tomato plants grown in the greenhouse 

 seemed from microscopical examination to be of bacterial origin. 



The fruit showed patches that looked watery, became depressed, and 

 after a time turned blackish. Usually the disease started at the apical 

 portion of the fruit. No evidences of a fungus were present. Attempts to 

 separate a specific germ were apparently successful. 



Introducing the supposed germ into the fruit by puncturing the epi- 

 dermis in every instance produced a disease. 



