DISKASKS OF VARIOUS CROPS IO45 



the nearly ripe cones, according to whether the}- are attacked in spring or 

 autumn. It is quite natural that cones attacked in May or June when the 

 tissues are soft and grov^'th is still in progress should suffer a large loss of 

 water, and consequently be very light ; besides the seeds must obviously 

 suffer as a whole from the consequence of the infection owing to the fact 

 that between spring and autumn there is j^lenty of time for the parasite to 

 exert a destructive action on the entire cone. On the other hand, when the 

 infection occurs in autumn, just before the cones are gathered, the time avail- 

 able for the parasite to encroach on the seeds is very short, both because the 

 spread of the m^^celium is hindered bv the thoroughly lignihed and fully 

 developed tissues, and because the drying of the cones for the purpose of 

 extracting the seeds stops the further spread of the mycelium. If, however, 

 owing to favourable circumstances, the infection is able to continue for a 

 long time, the cones attacked in autumn (" pine pagliose ") may have nume- 

 rous features in common with those attacked in the spring (' 'pine gallerone"). 



The immediate cause of the disease is Sph. necatrix. This is proved 

 not only by microscopic examination, but also by experiments of inocula- 

 tion on healthy cones, in which the disease was successfully- reproduced 

 in this way. 



As regards means of control, the following are advised : i) complete 

 gathering and burning of the diseased ccnes ; this precaution must be 

 strongly^ recommended to pine cone gatherers, who often emit to gather the 

 " pine gallerone " which are richer in pycnidia of the parasite than the 

 " pine pagliose ". The cones of the " pine gallerone " should even be gather- 

 ed as early as June, when dispersion of the spores has already begun, 

 because on this depends in part the intensity- of autumn infection ; 2) thin- 

 ning out the pine grove as much as possible, so that the plants are under the 

 most favourable conditions and get the largest possible quantity- of light 

 and air. There should therefore be a distance of at least 33 feet between the 

 adult plants ; very dense old pine woods in which there are from loo-iio 

 trees per acre are the worst sufferers from this disease. 



820 - Common Phosphorescent Toadstool (Pleurotus nidiformis) and " Sticky 

 timber Phollote " {Pholiota. adiposa), Agaricineae attacking Wood, in Aus- 

 tralia. — Cleland J- Burton and Cheel Edwin in A ii^yi cultural Gazette of New South 

 Wales, Vol. XXVII, 3rd. Part, pp. 201-202, PI. 5-6. Sydney, March 2, 1916. 



A description of Pleurotus nidiformis Berck. (common phosphorescent 

 toadstool) and Pholiota adiposa Fries (" sticky^ timber pholiote "), which 

 destroy the wood by piercing it with their my-celial filaments and thus 

 bringing about decomposition. 



The former occurs widely in all the States of the Australian Common- 

 wealth. It grows at the foot of living tree trunks (Eucalyptus and ether 

 species), or on dead stems. It is perhaps of no great economic importance. 

 Nevertheless, it would be advisable to destroy- it by^ burning wherever 

 found. It has been described by- various authors under different names : 

 P. candescens, P. lampas, P. phosphoreus and P. illnminans. 



Pholiota adiposa appears on the trunks of trees at a height which may 

 be 22 ft and more. In Europe this fungus is very^ injurious. In Australia 



