Scottish Arboriailtiiral Society. 571 



poplar, and willow began to foil in 1861, and by 18G3 there was scarcely a 

 plant alive upon an area of about sis acres. On pulling up the dying 

 plants he found the roots covered with the spawn of fungi, which per- 

 meated the bark and alburnum ; and as the plants decayed, it penetrated 

 their woody tissue, hastening its rapid decomposition. The mycelium in 

 many cases reached a height of from one to three feet up the stem of the 

 young trees before the tops were quite dead, and it could be seen bursting 

 the bark at the base of the stem, and displaying a complete network of 

 white threads of spawn inserted between the bark and the wood. A 

 few of the hazels were also affected and died, but none of the Spanish 

 chestnut and hornbeam appeared to suflFer in the least, although they were 

 intermixed throughout the plantation Avith the other kinds which were 

 killed by the fungi ; hence it w^ould appear that certain species of trees 

 were proof against the attacks of fungi which were fatal to other species. 

 It would be easy to give many examples of the deleterious effects of 

 fungi upon trees, and vegetation in general, and which were either the 

 cause or eflFect of disease and decay, and all the varieties of " rot " which 

 played such havoc amongst trees in a living state, as well as when they 

 were converted into timber. "Whenever fungoid life found a suitable 

 pabulum, there it would fasten itself, and under favourable atmospheric con- 

 ditions it would quickly spring into vigorous action, and speedily consume 

 the substance it lived upon. AYlieu vegetable matter arrived at a stage of 

 thorough decomposition, it in geueral furnished a safe and valuable manure 

 for the growth of other plants, without any risk of producing fungi delete- 

 rious to vegetation. Of many different species of ferns, lichens, mosses, and 

 other cryptogamic plants which infested trees he had no time to speak, but 

 as few or none of them were true parasitical plants, like fungi, there was 

 less occasion to refer to them. Where such growths abounded upon 

 forest trees they were generally caused by peculiarities of soil or atmo- 

 sphere, such as cool dampish soil, and a close moist atmosphere, both 

 conditions being highly favourable to the growth of cryptogamic plants. 

 In the case of forest trees infested by them, drainage and judicious 

 thinning, and exposure to air and light, were generally found to be the best 

 preventive. In conclusion he recommended a thorough preparation of 

 the ground before planting, and the removal of all dead or decaying wood 

 likely to produce fungus, with careful attention to drainage, and timely 

 and judicious pruning and thinning, as the best means of preventing the 

 attacks of cryptogams on forest trees. When the trees were once attacked, 

 especially by fungoid cryptogams, the best and safest plan was to root 

 them out and burn them at once, to prevent the disease spreading to other 

 healthy trees. 



In the discussion which followed, Mr. France expressed the opinion that 

 the trees attacked by fungi were not healthy plants. Dr. Brown was also 

 of opinion that the trees attacked were in a weakly state. Mr. M'Corquodale 

 corroborated Mr. Dunn's remarks, and mentioned instances which had 

 come under his own observation of the destruction of young Scots fir, and 

 other forest trees, from the fungi generated 1 )y the roots left in the ground 



