106 
adjacent tissue. Later the color deepens to a more or less intense 
orange, and the fibro-vascular bundles appear as red lines. Finally 
the adjacent tissue also becomes colored, first at isolated points and 
then throughout. At this stage the fibro-vascular bundles become 
altered to a brown color. The red coloration may be manifest, both in 
the tissue of the interuode and in the leaf sheath, or it may be limited 
to the leaf sheath. In the latter case the corresponding fibro-vascular 
bundles of the internode are slightly yellow, and those of the leaf sheath 
are violaceous. But if the internodes and leaves are contemporane¬ 
ously reddened it was found that the fibro-vascular bundles of the leaves 
first redden; then the coloration passes along the bundles into the 
stems. If the node be examined in longitudinal section the red strands 
will be seen entering from the leaf sheath. In fact the fibro-vascular 
bundles (with the surrounding tissue) are colored their entire length, 
and the coloration passes from the leaf to the node, thence with the 
elaborated sap through the internodes. 
Upon microscopic examination the investigators found the red color¬ 
ation to be due to a deposit on the cell walls. Under strong magnifi¬ 
cation colorless micro-organisms of various sizes and forms were de¬ 
tected. The larger ones were elliptical, the smaller almost spherical 
and highly refractive. The first propagate by budding and appear in 
colonies of two or three individuals united by germination. Some of 
them are homogeneous, but many present a luminous point in the center 
or a point at each end; still others have three points, namely, one in 
the middle and one at each end. The presence and number of these 
luminous points depend on the stage of development of the cell. Their 
length {5-7/a) is about twice their breadth (2-3jw). 
These micro-organisms, according to Professors Palmeri and Comes, 
probably correspond to the species figured by Bonorden, Handb. All. 
Mykol. taf. I Fig. 2 and called Hormiscium sacchari. This ferment is 
very probably the same as that which was afterwards named by Bees 
tSaccliaromyces ellipsoideus. The spherical or subspherical micro organ¬ 
isms mentioned above are scarcely lp long and present an active vi¬ 
bratory movement. They should perhaps be referred to Bacterium 
termo , Djr.,which is commonly found in juices and tissues undergoing 
decay. 
A positive demonstration of the mode of entrance of the germs into 
the tissue^ is not claimed, yet it was suspected from observations above 
given that they enter from without—which is corroborated by the fol¬ 
lowing. u Not only is there a whitish cereous coating, but also another, 
especially under the sheaths of the affected stems, which is frost-like, 
greasy white, and cinereous. Microscopic examination reveals the fact 
that this lime-like coating consists of myriads of organisms like those 
found in the juices. The diseased plants remaining on the ground 
afford in their amylaceous or saccharine contents opportunity for in¬ 
crease of the micro-organisms, which are then finally wafted hither and 
