152 INDIAN CORN CULTDEE. 



teria, so small that they can he seen only 

 under powerful microscopes. One of these 

 plants consists of a single cell, with an outer 

 coat, and inside contents. These plants in- 

 crease by dividing in halves _ or sections and 

 each developing into a perfect plant, or by 

 spores which they may produce. Bacteria can 

 withstand great extremes of heat and cold. 

 There are many different kinds, one of which 

 causes injury to Indian corn by developing in 

 its tissues and juices. 



Symptoms.— The disease is characterized by 

 the ■ plants turning yellow and sickly while 

 young. The roots of the plants, especially the 

 lowest ones, decay. While the whole plant 

 will be affected, the injury is most apparent in 

 the lower part of the stem, which will be dis- 

 colored and perhaps dying. Sometimes the 

 stem appears corroded, and semi-transparent, 

 firm, gelatinous material gathers upon these 

 marred places. After midsummer the leaf 

 sheaths become discolored and spotted, with 

 an appearance of decay. If these sheaths are 

 stripped off the injury is made more conspicu- 

 ous. These injured or spotted places appear 

 watery and sometimes are smeared more or less 

 with a thin coating of the gelatinous matter. 

 Finally the ears are attacked, the husks wilt, 

 turn brown and become packed close together, 

 and gummy matter exudes from the tissues. 



