172 Miss D. M. Cayley. Preliminary Note on a [Nov. 19, 



germination, but does not necessarily occur in all cases. Further elucidation 

 of this point is necessary. 



No growth has so far been observed on lactose pea agar agar. 



In liquid peptone beef broth the rods grow to a great length and are 

 strung together in chains. 



The organism occurs in the phloem, cambium, medullary rays, and 

 occasionally in the pith of the stem, also in the parenchyma of the vascular 

 bundles which run along the mid-rib of the pod, in the tissue of the funicle 

 and cotyledons. 



In the very young plant grown in sterile sand the bacillus has been found 

 in the primary ground-tissue of the radicle inside the pericycle, and in the 

 young phloem and cortical tissues of the shoot. 



The general symptoms are as follows : — In mild cases after germination 

 the shoot can develop normally, but in bad cases it is frequently abortive, 

 brown and dead at the tip, and laterals grow out prematurely to take the 

 place of the main shoot. Quite early in the development of the plant, when 

 the plumule is from half an inch and upwards in length, light brown 

 longitudinal streaks can be seen on the stem and root, and the first leaves 

 are often brown at the tip. These streaks develop later into slits. In very 

 bad cases little or no germination takes place. After this stage no further 

 definite signs are noticeable till about the flowering period. Then the 

 development of the disease depends a good deal on external conditions. If 

 the weather is warm and dry, and the plants are growing vigorously, the 

 disease develops rapidly, and in a few days the plants become unhealthy 

 and change colour. The stem turns slightly brown, and looks somewhat 

 water-soaked. Brown longitudinal streaks appear at the base of the 

 petioles on either side of the rib of the stem, which is continuous with the 

 mid-rib of the leaf. The streaks split open and dry out. The collar may 

 be badly disorganised. The leaves become spotted, streaked and yellowish 

 in colour, and if the disease is progressing rapidly the younger portions of 

 the plant show discoloration, and fail to develop properly. 



Except in bad cases the plants grow to full height, and can flower and 

 set a certain amount of seed, but on examination the cotyledons of the seeds 

 of a diseased plant show brown discoloration, which may be limited to a 

 mere spot in the centre of each cotyledon, or, on the other hand, nearly the 

 whole of the cotyledon may be involved. In the latter case there is often 

 a cavity in the centre of the cotyledon. 



Sections of the diseased cotyledon show large numbers of bacilli in various 

 stages of development in the cells and intercellular spaces. 



The bacillus works its way into the intercellular spaces and then breaks 



