REPORT OF THE SOCIETY 57 



and (c) viable urediniospores. The plants inoculated with urediniospores were 

 the only ones on which infection was successful. These developed characteristic 

 uredinia in about two weeks. Xo infection was obtained from the sporidia. 



Bibliography 



1. Blasdale, W. C— On a Rust of the Cultivated Snapdragon. Jour. Mycol- 9 : Sl-82. 190a 



2. Clinton, G. P. — -Snapdragon Rust. Report of Botanist. Conn. Agr. Kxp. Sta. Rept. 1915: 



443-444. 1916. 



3. Dick.son, B. T. — -Some Plant Diseases in the Greenhouse. Snapdragon. 11th Rept. Que. Soo. 



etc. 47. fig. 1-3, 1920. 



4. Howitt, J. E. — ^Puccinia Antirrhini — Report of Botanist. 42nd Rept. O.A.C. and Exp. Farm : 



lo-lG. 1917. 



5. Peltier, G. L. and Rees. C. C — A New Rust of Eeonomio Importance on the Cultivated 



Snapdragon. Phvtopathologv. 4, 6 : 400. 1914. 



6. Peltier. G.X.— Snapdragon Rust. III. Agr. Exp. Sta. Bull. 221 : 535-548. fig. 1-5. 1919. 



7. Saccardo. — -Svlloge Fungorum. 14 : 325. 



8. Thurston. H.'W.—Puccinia Antirrhini. Phytopathology. 9, 8 : 330. 1919. 



METHODS OF PROLONGING THE DURABILITY OF FENCE POSTS 



BY J.-A. ROY 



It is becoming more and more difficult in Canada to-day to get fence posts 

 of wood that is properly durable. This scarcity is not only tending to enhance 

 the price of the posts, w^hich are so necessary' to farmers, but further the prod- 

 ucts offered are often of secondary quality, or too small in size. 



Cedar wood, which resists decay for a long time, even in wet soils, is the 

 kind most in demand for the purpose, but, like others also very suitable, is be- 

 coming more and more rare. Such trees as the oak and the chestnut yield 

 wood of great durability, but these are highly valued for other purposes and 

 the idea of using them for fence posts is generally out of the question. 



This country possesses many species of forest trees less durable than the 

 cedar, such as poplar, cypress, spruce, fir and willow, and these absorb antisep- 

 tic dressings with which they may be treated more easil}' than hard woods. As 

 the cost of cedar and other durable kinds of wood has increased, the use of infer- 

 ior varieties has become more common ; if these latter last but a short time, 

 however, it becomes an expensive matter to replace them. In order to prac- 

 tise economy to the best advantage, the cost of any treatment that will prevent, 

 or at least, retard, decay should be considered. 



I urge the desirability of practising economy — and verj- considerable 

 economy — in money outlay, as well as in quantitj' of timber used. 



Let us consider the case of a farmer who possesses an area of land 14,400 

 feet long by 720 feet broad. As most farmers make their fences with rails, a 

 double quantity of supporting posts will be necessary. Assuming that the 

 stakes are at a mean distance of fifteen feet, one from the other, at least two 



