DISEASES OF PLANTS. .*'- . « 



All gradations in the severity of the disease are found, and as il pi n the 



heartwood the sapwood becomes affected and is no longer able to earn on its proper 

 functions in relation to the tree. Ordinarily the heartw I of these trees is natur- 

 ally .lark in color, but when affected by the fungus it turns a light yellowish tint 

 and in the last stages becomes nearly white. It retains it- fibrous appearance but 



breaks much easier thai] does the healthy w I. No suggestion i- given tor the 



control of the fungus. 



Willow canker, T. Johnson {Sci. Proc. Roy. Dublin Soc, ,>. %er., //. 



pp. 158-166, ph. 3). The author reports having observed in the autumn of 1899, in 

 specimens '•!' willows senl for examination, black spots which rendered the oe 

 useless fur basket making. 



These spots, which have a canker-like appearance, are easily recognized externally 

 and may reach through the -I i< •< .i - to the pith. They cause weakening of the stems, 

 w hich bn-ak at the least attempt to bend them. A Btudj of Hi'- fungus showed that 

 the disease was caused by Physalospora gregaria and associated with it were the two 

 other stages which are distinguished as Tetradia salicicola ami Macrodendrophoma 

 mlicicola. 



Judging from analogy the author believes that all ."> fruiting stages are capable of 

 infecting healthy willows. Poor undrained bogs ami a prevalence of weeds would 

 favor development, and every care should he taken not to plant diseased -ft- from 

 an infected ho It. Land chosen for osier growth should be well drained and if bog 

 land should he treated with lime, potash, and phosphoric acid. If the disease 

 appears, all attacked sets should he dug out and burned. A weak solution of forma- 

 lin, it.") per rent, it is believed would he useful as a spray to keep the fungus from 

 spreading. 



Glassy fir, II. von Schrenk | Mo. 1'><>l Can/. An,,. /:,,>.. 16 I 1905), />/,. 111-120, 

 pis. ?). — A description is given of specimens of balsam fir which were received dur- 

 ing the winter at the laboratory, and which exhibited peculiar smooth spots at 

 various points in cross sections. 



Some of these area- extended from the heart to the sapwood, while others formed 



irregular circumscribed spot-. A great 'leal of balsam fir is used for pulp w I'm 



the region from which these specimens were obtained, and it was claimed that this 

 appearance indicated a defect in the wood. Investigations showed that this appear- 

 ance is quite frequent during winter months, and it is surest rd that it i- due to freezing. 



To secure experimental evidence t<» corroborate this belief, the author saturated a 



number of specimens of loblolly pine, after which they were subjected to tempera- 

 tures below zero and partially sawed through when in a frozen c lition. After 



thawing, the pieces were cut completely in two for examination, and the portions 

 that had been cut while in the frozen condition exhibited a condition analogous to 

 that mentioned in the lir. It is believed that this defect is due to freezingand cutting 

 when there is a superabundance of water in the trunk of the tree. 



Corticium chrysanthemi, ('. B. Plowright {Brit. Mycol.Soc. Trans. 1904, pp.90, 

 '.n.i,l. l). The author reports having noticed a number of years ago chrysanthe- 

 mums planted for permanent ornamentals which had diet off, and in each case a 

 white fungus growth was pro-cut on the lower part of the stems. Recently In- 

 attention has been called to this same trouble, and a careful examination was made 



to ascertain the cause of the disease 



The stems show a white hymenium on the living and dead stems at the level of 

 the ground, matting the earth and the shoot- togetherso that the gardener ma) at 

 once recognize the trouble he has to deal with. The only treatment seems to be the 

 burning of the diseased plants and the use of only healthy cuttings. A technical 

 description of the fungus is given. 



Concerning the root rot of cotton.— In the note on the root rot of cotton by V. 

 Mosseri (E. S. K.. 17. p. 45) an error was committed in statin- that the disease in 



