EFFECTS OF BROWN-ROT FUNGUS UPON PEACH 
79 
of conidiophores of the fungus. They were sliced up and sampled and 
the samples treated as in the case of the sound peaches. The results 
of the determinations are given in Table VII, which follows. 
Table VII 
Pentosan, Acid and Sugar Content and Amount of Alcohol-Insoluble Sub- 
stance Which Reduces Fehling's Solution on Hydrolysis with 
Dilute HCl, in Sound and Rotten Peaches from Same Tree 
Wet Weight 
Dry Weight 
Sound 
Rotten 
Sound 
Rotten 
Per cent dry matter 
14.40 
14.40 
Per cent reducing sugar 
4.28 
8.50 
2975 
59-05 
Per cent total sugar 
9-32 
8.59 
64.69 
59-65 
Per cent sucrose 
4.89 
0.08 
33-22 
0.57 
Per cent ale. insol. substance (as starch) which reduces 
Fehling's sol. when hydrolyzed with dil. HCl 
1.30 
1.07 
9-05 
7-44 
Per cent pentosans ; 
0.76 
0.73 
5-30 
5.08 
10.53 
13.00 
73.12 
90.28 
From the results in the foregoing tables it is evident that some of 
the compounds studied are much more readily available for the 
metabolism of the fungus than others. 
The pentosan content of the sound and rotten halves of the peaches 
was usually about the same, the differences being no greater than the 
variations in pentosan content of the two halves of a sound peach. 
Moreover, the pentosan content was sometimes higher in the rotten 
half of the peach than in the corresponding sound half. It seems 
probable then, that the pentosans were not utilized by the fungus. 
Cooley (3) has recently shown that the hyphae of this fungus are not 
found to any considerable extent in the middle lamellae of the cells 
and it does not apparently digest the pectin of plum fruits. It is 
possible, though not probable, that part of the pentosan, or furfurol- 
yielding material, might be used by the fungus and a like amount of 
pentosans laid down. 
The acid content was always higher in the rotten half of the peach 
than in the sound portion and this difference was greater than the 
variation in acid content between the two halves of a sound peach. 
It would seem then, that the fungus forms some acid or causes it to 
be formed by the peach. No attempt w^as made in the present in- 
vestigation to identify the acids of either the sound or lotten peach. 
This work would, how^ever, seem to corroborate the investigations 
