170 MICROBES AND THE MICROBE-KILLER. 



This rust is contagious, and the spores or seeds from 

 the fungus infect all other roses in the vicinity, just the 

 same as persons with the cholera or small pox infect 

 others by proximity. The fungus of the cutting bench 

 resembles in appearance a spider web, and, if left undis- 

 turbed, grows and covers about one square foot of sur- 

 face in six days, and every cutting which stands within 

 reach of it is affected and dies. Another thing Mr. 

 Eadam discovered about plants which was of use tq 

 him afterward was that the plants were affected by 

 changes of weather. In warm, damp weather his little 

 seedlings were in more danger than on bright, sunny 

 days. After some changes of weather, especially after 

 sunshine followed by rain, he noticed that on the leaves 

 of plants, which were healthy-looking before, tiny little 

 spots grew, and, when the wind blew, covered the 

 whole surface with a kind of rusty-looking smoke. On 

 other plants a different species could be seen, showing 

 that different plants were affected by different dis- 

 eases. 



Mr. Eadam early decided that the fungi on plants 

 were nothing more than microbes, and the reason for 

 different plants being differently affected was that they 

 were affected by different kinds of microbes. There 

 was nothing new in this theory, although Mr. Eadam 

 discovered it himself and did not read it in text books 

 on botany. 



He tried to save his plants by cutting off the fungi, 

 but soon found out that this treatment had no perma- 

 nent effect. The fungi grew out again, generally in the 

 same place, but often in many other places. This led 

 him to the additional discovery that the little fungi or 

 microbes were actually in the sap of the plants, and 

 that unless the sap was purified the condition would 

 remain the same. He tried many ways of treating the 

 roots of his affected plants. Occasionally he was suc- 

 cessful, as some species of microbes yielded to his appli- 

 cation of antiseptics to the roots. But his efforts, on 

 the whole, were a failure, and he found that the safest 



