FUNGI 5 



plants, they require no further notice in this work. The 

 great majority of gill-bearing fungi, or Agarics, belong to 

 this section. 



II. Parasites. — The enormous assemblage of fungi that 

 obtain their food directly from living plants, and con- 

 sequently act prejudicially to a certain extent on the 

 host^ or plant on which they are parasitic, belong to the 

 present category. As too familiar examples may be 

 enumerated the various rusts, bunts, and smuts of cereals, 

 also the many mildews of living plants, along with numerous 

 other minute fungi which do not possess popular names, 

 and w^hose effects on their victims are usually attributed 

 to other than the true cause. 



As a qualification of the above definitions, it must be 

 remembered that, under certain conditions, fungi which 

 usually live as saprophytes may become parasites, and 

 some such are to be numbered amongst the most destruc- 

 tive of fungi known. On the other hand, many dire 

 parasites can live as saprophytes during certain periods of 

 their existence. 



Mode of Growth of Fungi. — Gardeners and others are 

 often much disappointed, and their belief in the efficacy of 

 successfully combating plant diseases is lessened, when they 

 submit examples of plants which are stated to be showing 

 the first symptoms of disease, and receive in reply the 

 statement that it is too late to effect a cure, but that the 

 disease may, with the exercise of sufficient care and atten- 

 tion, be prevented from spreading. This unfortunate con- 

 dition of things is due to the fact that what the practical 

 man considers as the first stage of a disease, the pathologist 

 knows to be in many instances 'the last stage. This differ- 

 ence oi opinion may be explained as follows : — 



