E. J. BUTLER. V5 
apple, plum and apricot trees in Kashmir. In Europe it is known 
on these as well as on several other broad-leaved trees. 
It is found usually on the trunk but also attacks the larger 
branches. Being a “ wound parasite” the infection takes jplace 
by means of spores lodging on the scars which are so common on 
Kashmir mulberries owing to the manner in which the leaf is 
obtained for silk-worm food. — In the scars left by removing large 
branches a portion of the heart-wood is exposed, and it is here 
that infection occurs. Scars left by breaking off small twigs 
which have no heart-wood, are not liable to attack, though, as 
already mentioned, they are the usual place of entry for the twig- 
disease fungus. 
When the spores germinate, the young threads penetrate into 
the branch heart-wood and from that to tne heart-wood of the 
trunk, attacking first the central portion and then the outer, 
younger layers. The tissues are little by little destroyed from 
within out, becoming soft, spongy and yellowish white. Separat- 
ing the outer healthy layers of young wood from the rotten 
central portion, is a hard brown zone, consisting of cells filled 
with a brown, gummy matter; in this the parasite takes its main 
development. It is nourished in the brown zone mainly by the 
cell-contents while the walls are at first left unaltered. Only at 
a later period, when the cell contents are exhausted, is the wall 
corroded and the wood itself softened. 
Branches attacked by this heart-rot dry up and die. The 
trunk may be almost completely hollowed, but often a ring of still 
living wood is left, which is sufficient to keep the crown green. 
In most cases it is probable that rotted trees are blown down 
before the parasite can directly cause their death, for while partially 
rotted and hollow trees are fairly common, few that are obviously 
near death can be found. 
The fungus is perennial within the tree, and about August 
each year grows out to the surface to form spore-bearing organs. 
‘These appear externally on the trunk or main branches, and can be 
artificially induced to form, by exposing the heart-wood of a part 
where the threads are numerous, and keeping the wound moist. 
