A SCLEROTIOID DISEASE OF BEECH ROOTS. 
BY HERMANN VON SCHRENK. 
In the examination of some beech humus at Grand View, 
Rockland Co., N. Y., during the past summer, a large num- 
ber of small tubercles were found attached to the fibrous 
roots of the beech trees. These trees grew in a clump, 
thirty or forty together, in a creek bottom in a rich humus 
soil, strongly admixed with clay. Cattle had cropped the 
ground closely, and had here and there wounded the larger 
surface roots. From such points numerous shoots had 
grown. Anumber of these were carefully dug up, to verify 
the connection of the tubercles with the beech roots. No 
tubercles were found on any beeches away from the clump 
mentioned. Masses of earth with roots and tubercles were 
collected and washed out, and the smaller roots with the 
attached tubercles were hardened in alcohol. 
The tubercles were of various shapes and sizes, some 
almost round, others more elliptical or heart-shaped, and 
varying in size from those about as large as a small pea to 
some barely visible to the naked eye. Many occurred close 
together, oftentimes several on a small root (Pl. 55, fig. 
1). Here and there one tubercle has the appearance of 
being composed of two or more parts (Fig. 1 ‘a ’, Fig. 2). 
From’each body colorless strands extended through the 
ground, which join or pass from the tubercle at no definite 
point (Pl. 55, fig. 1 * b’, fig. 2. Pl. 56, fig. 3‘b’). The 
tubercles are grayish-white in color. 
With these bodies, others, very similar to these, are found. 
These are more regular in form, of a finer texture, and 
yellowish in color. On examination they proved to be 
small sclerotia, such as one frequently finds in humus soils. 
(61) 
