152 
Journal of Agricultural Research 
Vol. XXI, No. 3 
GROUP NUMBER 
According to the chart of the Society of American Bacteriologists 1 
the group number of this organism is 211.3333023. 
TECHNICAL, DESCRIPTION 
Bacterium cannae, n. sp. 
A short rod with rounded ends; chains; flagella 1 to 3, bi-polar; capsules; no pseudo- 
zoogloeae; aerobic; nonchromogenic; liquefies gelatin very slowly; diastasic action 
weak; reduces nitrates; does not produce acid or gas from sugars; clears milk; blues, 
then reduces litmus milk without coagulation; does not produce indol; produces 
hydrogen sulphid and ammonia; grows in Fermi’s and Uschinsky’s solutions and very 
feebly or not at all in Cohn’s solution; optimum temperature 35 0 C., maximum 40°, 
minimum 5 0 ; thermal death point 52 0 ; vitality at room temperatures on media six 
months; Gram-negative, not acid-fast; sensitive to drying; moderately tolerant of 
acids and alkalis; sensitive to freezing and to sunlight. The cause of a ineristematic 
disease cultivated in cannas. 
SUMMARY 
The budrot of cannas is a hitherto undescribed bacterial disease caused 
by Bacterium cannae , n. sp. The disease is primarily one of young tissues 
and moist conditions. 
Infection takes place through the stomata and spreads through the 
intercellular spaces of the parenchyma of leaf blade, petiole, and stalk. 
It is most destructive early in the season, that is on young plants. It 
begins in the hothouse and continues in the open beds. It destroys the 
buds, forms large unsightly spots on the leaves, and ruins the blossom 
clusters by blighting the flower buds or by decaying the stalk. 
The method of overwintering whether in the soil or on the rootstocks, or 
both, is uncertain as yet. Although no means of control has been worked 
out, it is recommended as a preventive measure that rootstocks for plant¬ 
ing be selected as far as possible from healthy stock only, that care be 
observed to avoid crowding and overwatering before setting out, that 
good ventilation be maintained in the houses, and that specially sen¬ 
sitive varieties be discarded. 
1 Society of American Bacteriologists, descriptive chart. Indorsed by the society for general 
use at the annual meeting Dec. 31, 1914. Prepared by the committee on revision of chart identification 
of bacterial species. 
