1897.] The Bacterial Diseases of Plants: 35 
scales. This rot produced a viscous (schmierigem), bad smell- 
ing slime. After two or three days the bulbs were entirely 
softened, and only the slightest pull was necessary to draw the 
leaves and scapes out of the bulb scales. 
(4) Pathological Histology.—A microscopic examination of the 
slime and of the affected tissues showed the existence of great 
numbers of bacteria. Primarily, they occupied the intercellu- 
lar spaces ; but the dead cells and the vessels were also full of 
them. The nucleus of the cell resisted longest, and could still 
be detected after the rest of the protoplasm was destroyed. No 
Hypomyces or other fungus was present. 
(5) Direct Infection Experiments.—No record of any. 
(II) Tue oRGANIsM.— Bacillus hyacinthi septicus Heinz. 
This name does not mean that Dr. Heinz regarded his or- 
ganism as in any sense a variety of B. hyacinthi Wakker, the 
practice of using trinomials to designate varieties not being 
current in bacteriology or generally accepted as good usage in 
any branch of botany. Dr. Heinz simply followed a common 
and vicious practice in the selection of his specific name, the 
literature of bacteriology being full of trinomials, quadrinom- 
ials, and even more extended names. Of course, all of these 
polynomials, Dr. Heinz’s included, must give way to binomi- 
al names, but in as much as I have not seen his organism, and 
as it was not fully described, I prefer to leave the consideration 
of its proper nomenclature to whomsoever shall have occasion 
to study it thoroughly. 
1. Pathogenesis : 
(A) Yes. 
(B) Yes. Very easy. “The material may be taken from 
any suitable diseased spot; and it is demonstrable that 
everywhere the same species of bacterium is present 
in large quantities—I might almost say in pure cul- 
ture—foreign organisms occurring only in the outer 
bulb scales, where they might be expected, and where 
they are of no consequence.” “ The here observed bac- 
teria belong toa single species.” “ I could not discover 
a mixture of different bacteria; the above named is 
also unlike Bacterium termo (Cohn?). So much is 
