REPORT OF THE STATE BOTANIST I908 29 



REMARKS AXD OBSERVATIOXS 



Brachysporium obovatum (Berk.) Sacc. 

 I'aik of hop hornbeam, (J s t r y a v i r g- i n i a n a ( Mill. ) 

 K. Koch. Lvndonville, Orleans co. ]\larch. C. E. Fairman. A 

 form not fully agreeing- with the description of the type. It grows 

 in tufts instead of velvety patches and the spores are often oblong 

 instead of obovate and the septa vary from one to three. 



Castanea dentata (Marsh.) Borkh. 

 This valuable tree has been attacked by a destructive fungus, 

 Diaporthe parasitica Murr. In the parks of Brooklyn 

 and Xew York city and in the country around these cities many 

 trees have been injured or killed by it and many have been cut 

 in consequence of the attack and its destructive effects. Numerous 

 articles have been published concerning this disease and various 

 experiments tried, designed to check or overcome the ravages of 

 the fungus, but none of them has been successful or satisfactory. 

 The fungus attacks the tree in wounds or abrasions of the bark 

 and by killing the inner vital part of the bark in which it lives 

 and spreads,^ it kills the tree in two or three years. It apparently 

 does not otherwise affect the wood v»hich may still be utilized 

 alttr the death of the tree. The disease has been reported to 

 have extended as far north as iXitchess county and a special 

 trip was made to that region for its investigation, but no signs 

 of its presence were found. Xnr was it found in Albany, Rens- 

 selaer and Steuben counties in which it has been sought. On 

 the other hand wherever the chestnut trees in these and other 

 counties have been observed by myself the past season, they have 

 generally appearc 1 to be in good health and vigor and unusually 

 full of fruit. A correspondent who is interested in the study and 

 observance of the disease reports that he did not find it in the 

 Catskill mountain reg^ion. It is therefore improbable that it has 

 spread far in our State, if at all, either north or west of the limits 

 assigned to it last year. It is more likely that the pessimistic 

 views concerning its rapid spread and destructive conseciuences. 

 entertained by some writers, will scarcely be realized. Unusually 

 destiuctive outbreaks of parasitic fungi are apt to be dependent 

 on unusual climatic d nditions and therefore to be of short duration. 



