1897] MICROSCOPICAL JOURNAL. 389 



pose is Labarroque's solution (liquor sodae chlorinata) of 

 the U. S. P. Put the sections in the liquor and leave un- 

 til every trace of color is removed. The time will vary 

 according)- to the nature of the tissue, thickness of' section, 

 etc. When bleached, wash the sections by allowing- a "^en- 

 iL' stream of water to flow over them until they no long-er 

 smell of the liquor, then put them in distilled water carry- 

 ing- one minim of nitric acid, c. p., to the ounce. Let re- 

 main for a few moments, then transfer to absolute alcohol 

 where they should remain one hour, before passing- to the 

 staining- baths. Except for special demonstrations where 

 carmine, picro carmine, xanthoxylin, etc., are required, 

 the writer prefers the aniline colors. 



BACTERIOLOGY. 



A Sweet Corn Bacillus. — Mr. F. C. Stewart, is study- 

 ing- a new bacterial disease of sweet corn. The plants wilt 

 and dry up, althoug-h the leaves do not roll as they do vvhen 

 they die from lack of moisture. In 3^oung- plants death oc- 

 curs in a few days, but the disease requires from two to 

 four weeks to run its course in older plants. Externally 

 affected plants appear sound, but when split the libro-vas- 

 cular bundles are found g-org-ed with a yellow substance. 

 When a diseased stalk is cut crosswise there exudes from 

 the ends in yellow viscid drops a substance composed of 

 immense numbers of short bacilli. The disease mavattack 

 the plants at any stag-e of g-rowth, but is the most virulent 

 about the time when the ears are forming-. It does not 

 spread from an initial centre, but is found scattered 

 throug-h the field. Diseased plants frequently occur in 

 the same hill with healthy ones. It is found in all kinds of 

 soil, and seems to prefer the early dwarf varieties of sweet 

 corn. — Garden and Forest. 



Flavoring Micrococcus of Butter. — It was a remark- 

 able discovery, when, in April, 1896, Simeon C. Keith was 

 studying- the eifects of various bacteria upon cream, and 

 in the course of his experiments he isolated a micrococcus 

 that was found to produce a decided butter flavor and aro- 



