178 BOTANICAL GAZETTE [sermon 
are identical, and, perhaps, very closely related to the bacteral 
disease of sugar cane known as ‘‘sereh.” 
The diseased beets, as observed in Russia, are described : 
having dried leaves with withered heart leaves. The rootsof 
badly diseased beets were so tough they could scarcely be 
broken, the broken surfaces soon turning black. These bees 
produced a pathogenic effect on cattle to which they were fel 
Many of the diseased beets, when first sectioned, appeared pe 
fectly sound, but after a few minutes the fibrovascular bundles i 
turned dark and a syrup-like gum exuded from the cells. hh 
other beets the tissue was sometimes completely broken dow. : 
Dr. Sorauer says: ‘The similarity between the beet and th j 
sugar-cane disease ‘sereh’ consists in the destruction of the cane 
sugar and the increase of the invert sugar as well as in the color 
ing of the vascular bundles and the entrance of bacteria. He 
also believes that the disease discovered in America by Arthar | 
and Golden may be the same as that determined by Kramer 
himself in Europe. ; 
Mr. Walter Busse, in 1895, took up anew the stu | 
bacteriosis gummosis of the sugar beet, the material for study 
being sent him by Dr. Sorauer. In describing the diseased! 
he speaks of the gum-like fluid as follows: “500m ate. 
drops appear on the surface of the sectioned beet they 
covered by a thin black membrane, which consists of 
black, round bodies of different sizes.” : Bey 
90 The get OF Mir: Busse was, first, to determine the ee 
bacterium common to all the diseased beets by the sepa’ 
the germ from the diseased tissue; and, second, to cen a 
that this germ was the specific cause of the disease by 
healthy beets with the germ. In the first series of e ve 
three germs were isolated. Two of these were eT ‘o 
the third form was kept for further observation. Leet 
appeared as short rods 1.72-2m long and 0.8 progr 
dy of the 
solutions, producing an abundance of gas. a 
but from othér diseased beets a second gas-producing ~— 
