Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1874-11-06
What Makes the Apples ROt9

Our WOrSJ enemies are Iuc SMALLEST |
All the ravenous beasts in the world,
mad dogs included probably destroy
fewer human lives than are destroyed in
this city alone by the ravages of those
minute but virulent organisms of the
genus micrococcus to which we owe small
pox, diphtheria, and some other malig-
nant diseases. Similarly, the thousand
sturdy weeds which annoy the farmer,
the caterpillars and grasshoppers which
occasionally devour his crops, are rela-
lively innocent and harmless compared
with the numerous microscopic pests
which rust his grain, rot his potatoes and
fruit, and otherwise levy their burden
some taxes without making themselves
| visible.
| just at this season, not the least inter-
esting of these individually insignificant,
collectively enormous, nuisances are two
forms of fungus growth which have
most to do with the untimely destruction
of fruit-7nlcor nucedo and pendulum
gJdUcUm
Our apples decay, not because it is
their nature to, as Watts might say, but
because it is the nature of something
else to seize on them for subsistence, as
we do, at the same time making of them
habitat, as we do not, Kept to them
selves, apples and other fruit never rot (;
they simply lose their juices by evapora-
tion, shrivel and become dry and hard,
or, if kept from drying, remain substan-
TALLY unchanged, as when securely
canned 1t is only when invaded by the
organisms we have named that they lose
color and quality, take on offensive tastes
and odors, become covered with white or
green mold-in short develop rottenness
and decay.
Formerly this process was thought to
be no other than continuation or eXag-
geration of the natural process of ripen-
ing, the chemical changes which produce
the odor and flavor of the ripened fruit
simply going on to their legitimate
though less delightful end. But this
theory overlooked the very common and
important facts that fruit may rot with
out ripening and that ripe fruit will not
rot if properly protected.
1t was not until the microscope was
brought to bear on the problem and the
conditions of decay were so convlncingly
demonstrated by Devaine that the real
nature OF the process became clear.
Now we know that, so far from being
the complement of growth, the antithesis
: of life, decay is in reality the taking on
of a more rapid though specifically diff
ferent growth. 1t is synonymous not
with death but with intensely active
life
In general structure the numerous
microscopic fungi are very much alike
consisting mainly of a network of color
less cells and filaments called the mgceL
ium. This is the vegetable part. There
is, besides, reproductive part in which
is produced the seed or "spore,' the
structure of which is different in the diff
ferent genera. In the mucor each repro
ductive tilament bears a globular swell
/ ing at its superior extremity in the
e interior of which the spores are devel
: oped. In the peRcilLium glGucum the
D reproductive filament bears tuft oi
i from four to eight branches, which il
c turn produce upon their eXtremities &
= chaplet of small oval spores 1t is called
y pendulum on account of this pencil-likC
i tuft of its spore- bearing tlaments, anC
a gIaueual from their blush green tint. TIL,
e mold so frequently seen in oranges il
9 produced by this fungus. 1t is compaT
J, atively of slow growth and the alteration
II it produces in the properties of the frui
e it lives in and upon Is not so marked a
1t that caused by the mucor.
}; When fruit is invaded by either o
st these fungi, the vegetative filament
n send their branches among and aroun
y the fruit cells, and rapidly envelop then
n in "A network of mycelium, absorbing TIL
)r substance and juice of the fruit, and pre-
ID ducing the chemical transformatio
N characteristic of decay All this goes o
Il in the interior of the fruit, the fructifica
ut tion of the fungus taking place only o
y the surface, in contact with the atmo'
IN phere. For this reason fruit covere
~ with firm, fine skin, like the appl
es may be mass of what we call Co
n ruption within-in other words, thol
ID oughly decomposed by fungus growth
ct while no visible mold-the fructifyin
e !; part-appears on the surface. On tn
Or other hand, thin skinned fruits like til
IS strawberry, which are easily pierced b
ne the reproductive tilaments, are ofte
IN covered with an abundant fructiticatiO
In very short time, for the fecundity {
re these microscopic fungi is sometimes {
Id marvellous as the rapidity of the
ey growth. For example: A single zoospol
1h of the per0RSporn infestdas, which cause
lg the potato rot, will envelop the celluli
tissue of a potato leaf with myCeliu
d. tilaments in twelve hours, and fructific
'rt ton will be completed in eighteen hou
ch longer. One square line of the und
IS, surface of leaf, where the fructifcatiC
X naturally takes place, may bear as mar
1r, as three thousand spores. Each spo
supplies half dozen zoospores, ind
vidually capable of originating a ne
mycelium. From one square line, ther
fore, there may come, in less than tv
n days, nearly twenty thousand reproduC
ey i've bodies, and square inch may vie
he nearly three milliOnsl No wonder Il
ry disease spreads rapidly.
e- In the case of fruit, decay may be ori
ne mated in two ways, and two only;
ly direct contagiOn or by wind-waftC
nr spores. With firm-skinned fruit like al
of pies still another condition is essentia
tie namely, break in the skin of the fru
u to allow the parasite to enter and tai
possession. In every case of decay
IA. apples the center of disturbance will
gh found at bruise, scratch, or punCtur
Ar, and unless such u way be opened the a
If pie may hang until it is dry as leathe
in, or it may lie for weeks in direct COnta
mt with rottenness, and remain perfect
to sound
To this it may be objected that Il
he constant presence of the fungus in deCi
IN is no proof that it is the cause of th
RS. condition; on the contrary, the breakiI
IS. down of the fruit tissue by violence, al
", subsequent chemical action owing to a
or cess of air may rather make the grow
of of the fungus possible by preparing
suitable soil for its development. III
tn objection has been met in the investig
n tions of Davaine. The evidence that d
on fungus precedes and causes the chang
ng which we call decay is of the same cha
ne acter as that which establishes the co
lar nection between "A vaccine pustule al
es. incubation by vaccine virus. WhC
to sound fruit i3 inoculated with the spor
ng of pendulum decay begins at al
ire spreads from the point of inoculatio
to Apples similarly wounded, but not i
in oculated, remain the same.-ScIeati
Itv AmericdR.
Ia ,
JUDGMENT OF MUsICIANs-Theodo
all Thomas the distinguished founder al
Dr. conductor OF Ihe FAMOUS lhoinas
If chestra," New York, ought to know
tie well as any one the opinions entertain
to by musicians respecting musical instl