1922] TANNER—FLAX RETTING 179 
possible that some of the spores of anaerobic bacteria survived and 
produced the characteristic change in the flax fiber which was 
attributed to the pure culture of aerobes used. 
An anaerobic organism was also found by BrEIyERINCK and 
VAN DELDEN,’ to which they gave the name Granulobacter pectino- 
vorum. ‘This organism was an obligate anaerobe and a vigorous 
spore-former. It required protein or its split products as sources 
of nitrogen, liquefied gelatin, and actively attacked carbohydrates. 
In general it had the characteristics of the anaerobes described by 
others, especially the one found by WrNoGRADSKY. 
more recent extensive investigation has been reported by 
STORMER,® who found an anaerobic spore-former which he called 
Plectridium pectinovorum. The granular structure of the cells 
makes one believe that he had the organism described by earlier 
writers. STORMER’s bacillus seemed to differ from these, however, 
in being a facultative anaerobic organism. 
In sharp contrast with these papers are a number of others 
indicating that an aerobic organism is involved. MaARMIER? men- 
tioned such an organism. BEIJERINCK and VAN DELDEN also 
reported that Bacillus subtilis and B. meseniericus would ret flax, 
although they found another organism, which they called Granulo- 
bacter pectinovorum, which seemed to ret flax more completely and 
quickly. 
Rossr® studied the retting of vegetable fibers and stated that 
the microbiological retting process has certain advantages over 
chemical retting. Whether this is true or not is probably deter- 
mined by the uses to which the fiber will be put. He devised an 
aerobic method in which Bacillus comesii was allowed to act on 
material which had been steeped in water at from 28° to 35° C. 
The pure culture was added and the vat was aerated, the tempera- 
7 BEIJERINCK, M. W., and vaN DELDEN, A., Over de bacterien welke bij roten 
van vlas werksdam zign. Kon. Ak. Wetensch. Amsterdam (Verstag. van de Gewone 
Vergadering der Wis en Natunkk) 12:673. 1903. 
§ Stormer, K., Uber die Wasserroste des Flachses. Chem. Zent. 76:41. 1905. 
9 MarmieER, Le rouissage du lin. Bot. Centrabl. 83:90. 1900. 
* Rosst, G., Industrial retting of textile plants by microbiological action. Bull. 
Agric. Intell. 8: solkania: 3 g16. 
