no ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



Sweden also it was found in 1901, on bushes received in 

 1900 from a nursery in Denmark. In Ireland it has, since 

 1900, been observed throughout County Down, and in 

 localities scattered through the whole eastern half of the 

 island. So in Russia it has been found widely scattered, 

 Finland showing it in several localities on imported bushes. 

 It has also appeared in eastern Germany, in a number of 

 places in Denmark, and in one in southern Norway, on 

 bushes imported from Denmark. In almost all these 

 localities there is evidence of importation of gooseberry 

 bushes a year or two before the fungus appeared ; and in 

 some cases it was ascertained that they had been brought 

 from North America, where the disease prevails. In 

 October 1906 Mr. Salmon detected the fungus in a garden 

 in Worcester, England, on bushes recently imported from 

 the Continent, and at once made the fact known, and urged 

 the necessity of endeavouring to prevent the spread of the 

 injury by compulsory and thorough destruction of the affected 

 plants. Mr. George Massee, having visited the infected area, 

 came to the conclusion from information obtained there that 

 the fungus had been growing on gooseberry bushes in that 

 locality for a number of years, and that its effects in England 

 were likely to be less harmful than in the United States, 

 and were in fact of no very serious import. In opposition 

 to these views Mr. Salmon urges that the evidence is 

 strongly in favour of the recent introduction of the fungus 

 into Europe from America ; that the assertion of the 

 existence of the fungus in Worcestershire a number of years 

 ago is based on the confounding the effects of injuries done 

 to young twigs by aphides with those due to the fungus ; and 

 that the evidence of such experts as Professor J. Eriksson in 

 Sweden goes to prove that the range of the fungus is ex- 

 tending very rapidly on the Continent, and that it has been 

 necessary to uproot and burn all affected plants. In Sweden 

 the importation of gooseberry plants has been prohibited 

 since 1905. As yet this fungus has not been observed any- 

 where in Scotland, but it is most unlikely that we shall 

 remain free of the pest ; and, in view of the experience else- 

 where, it is much to be desired that it should be recognised 

 at once, and measures taken to destroy it before it can get 



