secretary's budget. 403 



woods in which the pores are well filled with starch or woody fibre, 

 are less affected in winter than the immature wood. The subject is 

 well worth further experiment, observation and discussion, all of which 

 may lead to valuable practical results. 



While on this subject, we will refer to one query of Mr. Tuttle, 

 why is one side of a tree affected by intense cold, while the other side 

 escapes ? This is very readily explained by the fact that the sun's 

 rays and their absence, and the frequent warm and cold breezes, 

 change the temperature of the wood on the side, or sides, exposed to 

 them, quite enouo;h to change the contained sap or moisture above and 

 below the 32°-39° temperature many times during autumn, winter and 

 early spring, and the consequent expansion and contraction of the 

 wood structure may thus permanently and fatally disorganize it. 



INJURIOUS FUNGI. 



At the recent Grand Rapids meeting of the American Pomologi- 

 cal Society, Prof. 0. E. Bessey, of Nebraska State University, deliv- 

 ered a very interesting address upon injurious fungi, illustrating the 

 subject with numerous large colored charts. The following is our ab- 

 stract of a portion of what he said : For a number of years nothing 

 was known of fungi becaikse students were not taught anything as to 

 the structure of plants ; all that was required being to learn the names 

 and classification of the flowering plants and ferns in the student's 

 region. It is not surprising then that men who have been through a 

 course in botany should have vague notions as to fungi, for they have 

 been obliged to get their knowledge of the vegetable kingdom by 

 home reading. But there is a new school of Botany springing up in 

 this country, which gives attention to vegetation : to the habits and 

 the modes of the reproduction of the lower plants. A fungus is as in- 

 teresting as an oak, and receives as much attention as the latter at the 

 hands of botanists. From such botany and botanists, pomologj'' and 

 all branches of horticulture and agriculture may confidently hope to 

 derive great benefit. The plants included under the name of fungi 

 are numerous. They are manifestly different, and all cannot be treated 

 alike. A dozen may grow on the same tree and no two of them bear 

 any resemblance to each other in structure or habit. 



Black Knot. — The black fungus is more harmful than all the rest put 

 together, as the disease it conveys to its host is extremely infectious. 

 The black knot of the plum and cherry is a good illustration, though a 

 somewhat complex species of the black fungus. The fuDgus may be 

 killed by certain poisons, or it may be stimulated to greater activity 



