490 
Journal of Agricultural Research 
Vol. XXIX, No. 10* 
Table I.— Hydrogen-ion concentration of carbohydrate medi a inoculated with 
Culture I and compared with uninoculated controls 
Inoculation 
age (days) 
Raffi- 
nose 
Suer ose 
Lactose 
( 
Maltose 
Man¬ 
nit 
Dex¬ 
trose 
Galac¬ 
tose 
Arabi¬ 
nose 
Rham- 
nose 
Gly¬ 
cerin 
Inocula¬ 
tion 
Check 
Inocula¬ 
tion 
Check 
Inocula¬ 
tion 
Check 
Inocula¬ 
tion 
Check 
Inocula¬ 
tion 
Check 
Inocula¬ 
tion 
Check 
Inocula¬ 
tion 
Check 
<3 
?! 
Check 
Inocula¬ 
tion 
Check 
Inocula¬ 
tion 
Check 
1_ 
6.3 
6.2 
6.9 
7.2 
6.3 
6.1 
6.2 6.2 
6.3 
6. 2 
6. 6 
6. 8 
6. 7 
6.8 
6.9 
6.8 
6. 6 
6.6 
2__ 
6.5 
6.2 
6.7 
6.6 
6.2 
6. 41 6.1 
6.0 
6.2 
5.8 
6.1 
6.3 
6.4 
7.0 
6.5 
6.2 
3 
6.6 
6.3 
6.5 
7.2 
7.2 
6. 6 l- 
6.5 
6.2 
5.4 
6.8 
5.6 
6.8 
5.4 
6.4 
7.2 
6.8 
6.5 
5_ 
6.8 
_ 
6.1 
_ 
7.6 
_ 
7.2!.... 
6.9 
5.0 
5.0 
4.2 
7.6 
6.6 
7__ 
7.2 
_ 
5.7 
_ 
7.8 
_ 
7. 6- 
7.2 
4.6 
4.6 
4.2 
7.7 
7.2 
10_ 
7.3 
_ 
5.1 
_ 
7.8 
_ 
7.7:_ 
7.4 
4.2 
_ 
4.2 
4.1 
7.8 
7.6 
15_ 
4.0 
i 
4.1 
4.1 
4.1 
7.9 
16_ 
7.3 
6.1 
7.9 
6.2 
7.4 
6.1 
7.6 
6.1 
8. 0| 6.1 
1 
These results agree with those from the 
colorimetric tests except that in the 
colorimetric tests mannit and glycerin 
show no acid reaction. However, the 
colorimetric tests were not continued 
so long. 
TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION 
Bacterium Martyniae, n. sp. 
A motile rod with rounded ends and 
polar flagella; single or in pairs, occasion¬ 
ally in chains; average measurements 
1.68u by 0.59m; no spores; capsules occur; 
Gram-negative; not acid-fast; growth 
in nutrient broth moderate, turning 
light green with age, clouding in bands, 
with a thin pellicle containing many 
small rectangular crystals; clouding in 
Cohn’s solution moderate with long 
triangular crystals growing to three- 
fourths of an inch in length; clouding 
moderate in Uschinsky’s solution with 
a heavy pellicle; clouding light in 
Fermi’s solution with a heavy pellicle; 
beef peptone agar colonies round, 
smooth, glistening, raised, later becom¬ 
ing umbonate, and turning medium 
green; gelatin liquefied; blood serum 
cleared and slightly liquefied; optimum 
temperature about 25° C.; maximum 
37°, minimum 1.5°, thermal death 
point 49°; indol not produced; H 2 S 
produced; aerobic; little if any diastasic 
action; soft acid curd formed in milk 
in 2 days; peptonization completed in 
14 days; reduction of litmus beginning 
in 5 days and completed in 8 to 14 days; 
methylene blue reduced in 4 to 5 days; 
nitrates promptly reduced; acid with¬ 
out gas produced with sucrose, dextrose, 
galactose, arabinose; pathogenic on 
Martynia louisiana (— M . proboscidea ), 
producing spots on leaves, and some¬ 
times involving the entire plant. 
CONTROL 
Diseased leaves and plants should be 
destroyed as soon as lesions appear, 
and only seed from healthy pods should 
be used for planting when Martynia is 
grown for commercial purposes. 
SUMMARY 
Plants of Martynia louisiana (— M. 
proboscidea) showing bacterial lesions 
on the leaves were collected from beet 
fields in Kansas. Isolations from these 
lesions gave pure cultures of a white 
bacterium which readily reproduced 
the disease on healthy plants sprayed 
with the organism. When severe the 
disease may infect the fruits and even 
destroy the entire plant. 
The name Bacterium martyniae is 
given to the causal organism. As a 
means of control, sanitary measures are 
recommended. 
The investigation here presented in¬ 
dicates that Bacterium martyniae does 
not infect sugar beets, young cucum¬ 
ber plants, or the trumpet creeper. 
