274 CORRESPONDENCE. 



No. 4 tlie second half of the Santa Fe specimen. In Nos. 3 and 4 

 was also put ^ oz. of pure sugar, to assist fermentation. These speci- 

 mens were subject, during the experiments, to a temperature of about 

 75° Fahr. The respective jars were examined from day to day. On 

 the sixth day the Ohio specimen in No. 1 was found to be rotting 

 rapidly, while the Santa Fe specimen in No. 2 was apparently un- 

 injured. Specimens Nos. 3 and 4 were undergoing slow fermentation. 

 At first the water containing the New Mexican specimen became more 

 milky in colour than did that of the Ohio specimen, but the deteriora- 

 tion on the third day was greater in No. 3 than it was in No. 4. On 

 the twentieth day the Ohio specimen was perfectly dissolved, forming 

 a pulp, while the Santa Fe specimen retained its perfect consistency 

 throughout. On examining the pulp of No. 4 under the microscope, 

 he found that the starch granules were arranged in cellulose cells, no 

 liberated granules appearing on the field of view. Bundles of myce- 

 lium and budding spores appeared in profusion between the cells. 

 Few infusorials appeared in view. The odour was slightly sour. 

 The appearance of No. 4, as seen imder the microscope, of about 

 80 diameters, was remarkable as contrasted with No. 3. The latter 

 specimens presented a mass of infusorial life, mycelium, and budding 

 spores. He made many examinations of the pulp to detect starch 

 cells if present, but found none. The fermentation had completely 

 destroyed them. The odour was very bad. The Ohio specimen in 

 No. 1 rotted much quicker under the influence of Peronospora mfestans 

 than it did under the Torula fungus favoured by the action of sugar in 

 No. 4 solution. The Santa Fe specimen in No. 2 resisted the Pero- 

 nospora infestans fungus better than it did the Torula fungus in No. 4 ; 

 but, by the use of either fungus, the tendency of any variety of the 

 potato to resist fungus action may, by this mode, be easily decided. 

 Since the preceding experiments were made, other northern and 

 eastern varieties have been tested by fungoid solutions in contrast 

 with some of the New Mexfcan varieties, giving like results, clearly 

 demonstrating the superiority of the Santa Fe jjotatoes over all others 

 thus far examined in respect to their powers of resisting fungoid and 

 infusorial action. 



COEEESPONDENCE. 



" Fair Play " and his " Temperate Eemarks." 



To the Editvr of the ' Monthly Microscopical Journal.^ 



Padnal Hall, Chadwell Heath, Essex, Nov. 3, 1873. 

 Sir, — In the last Journal I find myself involved in a cross-fire. 

 The aspersions of " Fair Play " require a reply to his " few tem- 

 perate remarks." When a man modestly communicates useful facts 

 anonymously, the practice is laudable, indicating a pure spirit of 

 philanthropy ; but if this is done in a controversy as a cover for 



