Report of tlw Vegetable Pathologist. 259, 



77. Fungus Diseases of Stone-ftniit Trees in Australia and 

 their Treatment. With ten colored Plates and 327 Figures. — Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture, Victoria (1902). 



78. Black Spot of the Apple, together with Spraying for Fungus 

 Diseases. — Bulletin 3, Department of Agriculture, Victoria (1902). 



79. Australian Fungi, New or Unrecorded. Decades I. and II. 

 Proc. Linn. Soc, N.S.W., Sept. (1902). 



80. The Micro-fungi of Australian Lobelias. — Victorian Natura- 

 list, Vol xix., No. 12, 159 (1903). 



81. On the so-called Petrified Mushroom — Ibid. Vol. xx, No. 2, 

 14 (1903). 



IV.— Miscellaneous. 



A variety of other matters were submitted to me for report, and 

 of these only a few can be noticed here. 



The charlock or wild mustard is a troublesome weed in many of 

 our crops, and, although only an annual, it is difficult to eradicate 

 when allowed to seed. It is found that it can be thoroughly destroyed 

 by means of spraying, and this can be done in growing cereal crops 

 without injury. The great point is to spray early, when the charlock 

 is in a soft and tender state, that is soon after the rough leaf appears, 

 and when the crop is perfectly dry. The substance used for spraying 

 is bluestone or sulphate of copper, and a 3 per cent, solution, or at 

 the rate of 3 lbs. to 10 gallons of water is effective. If a thorough 

 spraying is done with 15 lbs. of pure bluestone dissolved in 50 gallons 

 of water per acre, then not only is the charlock destroyed, but the crop 

 generally is improved. Wherever water is available this method can 

 be strongly recommended for the destruction of the weed. 



There is another weed which is constantlv being referred to on 

 account of its supposed poisonous properties. It is the so-called 

 deadly nightshade, but the name is misleading. The deadly night- 

 shade is Atrupa helladonna, which does not exist here, while the plant 

 confounded with it is Solan um )iigrum, one of the commonest weeds 

 in the world, and a})propriately named the common or black night- 

 shade. It is well-known that members of this family are often 

 poisonous, and hence they have an evil reputation, but it caimot be 

 certainly affirmed in many instances that they are poisonous until it is 

 experimentally proved. The ripe berries of the ])lants growing here 

 can be eaten with impunity, and they have a tart agreeable flavour, 

 while a delicious soup can be made from the leaves. The reputed 

 pois(mous nature of this plant has not by any means been proved, and 

 it ought to be settled one way or the other experimentally, as was 

 done in the case of the Cape tulip. 



The mistletoe on our forest trees has also become a serious pest, 

 destroying much valuable timber, and has been too long allowed to 

 spread without hindrance. As pointed out in the July Journal, the 

 only practical way of getting rid of it is to remove the infested 

 branches while the j^arasite is still young, and thus minimise the evil. 



