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its growth on the side of the wood concealed from the light, where it developes a 

 soft mass of entangled threads somewhat resembling lamb's wool. In this speci- 

 men the mass is IJin. thick, extending 2()in. by 19in. over the surface. At the 

 joinings of the woodwork it has found its way to the light by thrusting itself 

 through the dovetailing, and has spread its fruit-bearing surface over a space of 

 18in. by 13in. Two other points of growth have commenced, which in time would 

 doubtless coalesce with the first, and cover the whole of the upper surface of the 

 boarding. The piece of wood on which this specimen is growing, was removed 

 from a cottage wall on Mr. Jenner's property, and exhibited by him at the late 

 meeting of the Cryptogainic Society of Scotland, held at Forres. A room in the 

 cottage had been lined throughout with pine-wood similar to the piece exhibited, 

 and in a short time after, the fungus made its appearance on the surface. Mr. 

 Jenner has since had the whole of this lining removed and burnt in order to pre- 

 vent further mischief. 



We have been favoured with some very valuable and original observations 

 on the nature, origin, and treatment of this disease of timber, by a member of the 

 Cryptogamic Society of Scotland, Mr. John Young, C.E., who has had a striking 

 case of its occurrence under his observation, and, as the narrative of an actual con- 

 flict with this formidable foe will convey to you a better idea of it than anything 

 we can say, we will quote his own description of the case. Mr. Young says — "I 

 had to do, professionally, with a house in which dry-rot showed itself, about six or 

 seven years ago. The house is one of three storeys. The lower storey was on a 

 level with the street. When the river in its neighbourhood rose high it was 

 subject to be flooded. In order to escape the flooding, the proprietor resolved to 

 build a wing to the back, and raise the floor level of the old and new building. In 

 carrying out these alterations, earth was required to raise the floor of a passage, 

 and to this circumstance I trace the importation of the fungus ; as when the floor 

 came ultimately to be opened up, large quantities of old bits of wood were found 

 amongst the earth, on which the fungus seemed to revel. The material had been 

 thoughtlessly brought from the ruins of some old house. Every care had been 

 taken to secure full and complete ventilation under the new floor, by means of 

 pipes and gratings of perforated zinc, so that there was no confined air, but always 

 a strong draught prevailing. Dry-rot was never seen before this in the neighbour- 

 hood of the house in question. In two years or so after the alterations, the skirting 

 of the wooden floor was found to be much affected, and on tearing up a part of 

 the floor next the passage, the joists and lath partitions were found in a diseased 

 state. A tradesman was called in, and the matter entrusted to him. It was found 

 to be confined to one corner. This corner was cleared out, part of the wooden 

 partition taken away and rebuilt with brick, and an additional ventilator put 

 through the front wall, and in fact the tradesman pronounced the disease cured. 

 But in another couple of years, to the dismay of the proprietor, the cure seemed to 

 Ijrove worse than the disease. The additional ventilator, which was supposed to 

 be essential to the destruction of the plant, seemed to be its very life, as it was 

 found in beautifully developed form, shedding its spores with rare luxuriance, not 



