198 



"2.— That the wood, after a time, gets exhausted of its nourishment for the 

 fungus, and when this is the case the plant attached to it dies. 



"3. — That if it has wood for its root, its branches will luxuriate where there 

 is no wood, even in the heart of a well-built dry rubble wall, but when the wood at 

 the root is exhausted, it dies in the wall. 



"4. — That the wood in which it takes root requires a certain amount of 

 damp. 



" 5. — That where the conditions are favourable, free ventilation is not against 

 its gi'owth, on the contrary, a draught aids it in dispersing its spores. 



"6. — The cure is to eradicate it as far as possible, by burning the soil, 

 applying a flame to the walls, and removing every particle of wood from its 

 locality, and substituting stone, ir(m, or cement. 



"7. — I believe that upon good, perfect, dry, healthy wood, it would not 

 readily take root, but if it gets good root in dampish wood, its growth will ramify 

 over dry fresh wood, and prey upon and destroy its tissues, thus ruining it for all 

 structural purposes." 



We feel sure you will agree that these facts, based as they are on actual 

 observation, and affecting as they do all who have to do with building and occupy- 

 ing dwelling houses, are of the utmost value and importance, and forcibly illustrate 

 the mischief fungi are capable of producing. 



When any of the members of this group attain a perfect state, they have 

 the power of depositing countless multitudes of spores, capable of reproducing, in 

 favourable circumstances, a progeny totally beyond calculation. The second on 

 our list, the Radiating Coprinus, is a striking example of this power. If the head 

 of one be removed from the stem and placed with the gills downwards on a sheet 

 of white paper, a deposit of black spores takes place in a few hours, completely 

 covering the space beneath, leaving a pefect diagram, showing every individual 

 gill as if photographed. Mr. Worthington Smith has estimated the number of 

 spores produced by a vei-y much smaller species than this one at three millions. 

 What number this larger species is capable of producing we will leave to the 

 imagination of our hearers. 



The next twenty-three species in our list (14—36, to which 44 and 45 may be 

 added) comprise those which are known as microscopic fungi, being so minute that 

 they require a magnifying glass to see any of the details of their structure. They 

 may be none the less formidable, however, in their effects on health. When it is 

 remembered that the potato disease, Peronospora infestans, the hollyhock disease, 

 Puccinia malvacearum, the coffee disease, Hemileia vastatrix, together with many 

 others that may be mentioned, are all microscopic fungi, it will be admitted that 

 mere size is not indispensable for effecting much injury. Nearly all this group 

 are found on damp wall paper, or damp plaster, and produce the discolouration so 

 frequently seen when moisture finds its way through or on to a wall. To one un- 

 acquainted with these minute organisms it will be a matter of surprise to be told 



