_ Matter; and in the inner bark of the larger specimens 
970 On the Microscopic and General Characters of (December, 
\ 
the 1st of August, 1878. I have endeavored to do my work 
carefully, microscope in hand as a constant companion, and will 
now give the results of my labors, and present what I verily be- 
lieve to be the cause of the disease. 
From the start I have worked with this idea before me; that if 
the disease was caused by a fungus, this particular fungus must 
be present in the tissues of the tree as it stands in nature, or, in 
other words, the conditions natural to the growth of the tree must 
also be natural to the development of the fungus. Making this the 
basis of my observations and experiments, I did not produce the 
conditions favorable for the growth of most fungi, viz., a moist 
atmosphere or a high degree of warmth, but simply examined 
the specimens as they were gathered from the diseased trees and 
sent tome. The specimens, when I examined them, were all in : 
good condition ; the fruit was not in the least decayed, but in all 
particulars perfectly natural. Some of the peaches were imme- 
diately sliced and placed in alcohol on their arrival, and others 
were examined while fresh. The results were the same in both 
cases. 
- For the sake of convenience I will give the results of the ex- 
amination of each part of the tree in the order of succession of 
those parts. 
1. Roots—First, a specimen four inches long and about one- 
eighth of an inch thick was examined; sections being made one- 
fourth inch distant from each other. Second, a root four inches 
long and one-half inch in diameter, sections being made as before. 
Third, a root of the same length and one inch thick was exam- 
ined as in the first specimen. Fourth, sections cut in no regular 
order from roots of various sizes and trees. All of the ent oo 
sections were examined with objectives varying in their magn'y” 
ing power between 75 and 625 diameters, and in no case was es - 
fungoid growth seen in the tissues nor anything in the least aby 
normal except the loose structure which has been men 
before. 
2. Trunk.—Many sections were made from various sized ee ne 
e smallest, on© — 
_ an abundance of mycelia, the characters and appearance © 
S will be given under the head Fruit. The smaller specimen 
tioned 
