2 
The disease so bitterly complained.of turns out to be associated with th- 
presence of a mictobe in the sap-vessels of the cane. The presence 
the mierobes is indieated to the eye by the exudation on fresh!. 
surfaces of a yellow gummy substance. The disease which I pro, 
to cail the Gumming of the Sugar-cane, never occurs without . 
presence of this gummy matter. 
e gummy matter never occurs without the microbes, and is, in 
fact, a product of their growth. It is impossible to enter into details 
here; but, from very careful and minute examination, I came to the 
conclusion that there are very strong and exceedingly numerous reasons 
for supposing the disease to be caused by these mierobes, which are a 
new sort, and which I propose to call Bacillus vascularum, but no oue 
is entitled to say that any organism is the cause of any given disease 
until the organism has been d into healthy individuals, and 
there produced the disease, and such inoculation must, of course, have 
been made under the now "well Wnderrted modern precautions against 
the introduction of any other organism or di sease-producing factor. 
Such inoculations have been made, and the result will in due time be 
recorded. Meanwhile, we know from these investigations much ad 
the nature and symptoms of gumming that will enable the cane-growers 
on the Clarence to put several checks on the losses they have Eitherto 
suffered from it. 
These methods of checking the disease Sps fully explained to a repre- 
sentative meeting of farmers from all parts of the river, and were such 
E to meet their approval. Chief iieis them was greater care in 
healthy sets. 
Not knowing the objectionable nature of this gum the farmers have 
been planting sets Sous: it, and the resulting crops bave been 
diseased in consequence. I w able to show that the buds of gummed 
‘sets already contain the uei and the gum, or, in other words, are 
already diseased, so that the growers were shown to be setting out 
diseased plants 
ractical reme accompanied by numerous a were given 
ish rea CREDE 
gummed, a nd these « | 
meet with warm approval. While pointing out the ability i any Parmer 
to select his own sets, I doubted whether many farmers on 
Clarence would find on their farms sets sufficiently free from gum. I, 
therefore, strongly advised them to adopt some system by which an 
expert might have access to all farms on the river, wherefroin to select 
and buy plant-cane at a reasonable prize, the same to be sold by him at. a 
profit. If such selection were done with care, the resulting sets woulc 
be worth more than is ordinarily paid for plant-cane (namely, l7. per 
ton). If we set the expert’s price at 30s. per ton, and reckon for the 
g, there is a 
two or sree punts, and hire a gang of as 
ving examined and selected his cane, he would then be in a posi- 
tion w deliver to order plant-cane certified to be reasonably free from 
gum. Whoever enters the undertaking must have first qualifie imself 
to select cane plants free from gum and other b 
hoth energy and business capacity. . At pl: 
would be heavily taxed. At other seasons he should m: 
familiar with the cane fields, and decide from whence dragon 
his supplies of plant-cane. - .To a himself. P f oye 
- should familiarise himself with the appearances o 
he 
