380 Annual Report for 191 1 of the Botanist. 



if they come into contact with the young foliage of the plum, 

 infect it, and rust-spores are produced in about a fortnight's 

 time. Apparently the disease persists from year to year in the 

 corms of the anemone, for wherever I have planted specimens 

 known to be diseased in the former season the disease has 

 always broken out afresh. Probably the plum rust can be 

 suppressed by simply destroying infected anemone plants, and 

 so breaking the life-cycle of the fungus. 



Two distinct bacterial diseases of the potato have been 

 received, and are still under examination. One of them 

 produces a characteristic discolouration of the veins and 

 wrinkling of the leaf blade, the other causes the foliage to 

 wilt and the haulm to decay. They are at present of little 

 economic importance. 



During the course of the year reports have been received 

 of two cases of cattle poisoning and one of horse poisoning by 

 noxious plants. In one of the cases of cattle poisoning the 

 animals ate quantities of the young foliage of the shrub 

 Andromeda ja[ionica, a plant not uncommonly met with in 

 shrubberies. Several species belonging to this natural order are 

 known to be poisonous, but this is the first case which has 

 been brought to my notice of .4. Jajwnica proving dangerous 

 in this country. Evidently care should be taken to plant it 

 only in situations to which cattle cannot obtain access. The 

 second case where cattle died, and that in which a horse was 

 stated to he poisoned, are more difficult to account for satis- 

 factorily. In each case the veterinary surgeons attribtited 

 death to the effects of eating poisonous plants. Hemlock was 

 specifically mentioned in the first instance, *' some poisonous 

 plant " in the second. In the one case hemlock could not be 

 found when the pastures were examined, and though such 

 poisonous plants as dog's mercury and cuckoo pint were present 

 in the second case, there were no signs of these having been 

 grazed. In fact it is questionable whether enough was present 

 in the fields to cause poisoning, even if the whole of it had 

 been eaten. 



Early in the year the common chick weed was received 

 from three localities, in each case in connection with outbreaks 

 of sickness amongst sheep, which were attributed to its presence 

 amongst roots. This weed often makes a considerable growth 

 after the final cleaning of the crop, but it is very questionable 

 whether it has any poisonous properties. 



Over twenty inquiries as to the best methods of forming 

 and renovating })ermanent pastitres and lawns have been dealt 

 with. This is perhaps the most diffictilt form of inquiry the 

 Department has to deal with, for soil conditions often (^liffer bo 

 much from what one might expect from an examination of 



