50 Proceedings 
shoots of the gooseberry-bush with a white powdery ‘meal’ or 
‘mildew’ (and thereby checking the growth of young bushes), 
also attacks the berries, and either prevents them growing out, 
or covers the half-grown berry with a brown ‘scurfy’ film, mak- 
ing them useless for any purpose, while not killing the bush. 
It is capable of ruining the crop year after year, and making 
the cultivation of gooseberries unprofitable. It is the prevalence 
in the United States of this mildew which alone prevents the 
cultivation there of European varieties of the gooseberry. 
Another new and most destructive disease which is just taking 
possession of this country is the Wart disease or Black Scab of 
the Potato (Chrysophlyctis endobiotica). This was first record- 
ed for Hungary in 1896—when it was new to science. It was 
first recorded for England in one or two counties in 1901; it 
is now present in a considerable number of the midland coun- 
ties, being widespread in several of these; it occurs also in 
several Welsh and Scotch counties. In certain districts 
the soil of allotments and cottage gardens has become so infested 
with the spores of this fungus that it is practically impossible 
to grow potatoes there. Under the attack of this fungus, the 
potato tuber develops big ‘warts’ or excrescences, which begin 
to rot about the time potatoes are lifted. The above-ground 
parts of the potato plant are not attacked, but the entire crop 
of tubers may be destroyed. This disease is slowly but surely 
spreading through the country by the sale of diseased ‘seed’ 
tubers. 
Lately Agricultural authorities have been aroused and induced 
to take some steps against freshly introduced pests, both fungus 
and insect. Full legislative powers in this direction were conferred 
on the Board of Agriculture under the ‘Destructive Insects and 
Pests Act,’ passed into law in July, 1907. It remains to be seen 
whether the two diseases, mentioned above, which have been 
given a handicap of several years’ start, will be overtaken and pre- 
vented from spreading over the entire country. 
To turn now to the second class. As instances of species of 
fungi where the knowledge of the life-history is of the utmost 
practical importance for the grower may be mentioned the fol- 
lowing:—Apple and Pear Scab, Cherry Leaf Scorch, Brown Rot, 
Apple-canker, and Pear-leaf Cluster-cups. 
