358 TRANSACTIONS OF ROYAL SCOTTISH ARBORICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
been appointed to inquire into the matter. They had inquired, 
but beyond that nothing had been done. Both Committees had 
reported that large tracts of waste land were available for the 
purpose, but no steps had been taken in the matter. - Instead, 
the Reports of the Committees had been carefully pigeon-holed. 
Time was slipping by, and nothing had been done. All that 
had been done was to nibble at what was a great question. 
Nothing could be more groundless than the complaints as to the 
British soil being against the proper growth of timber. In one 
case it was shown that the Douglas fir could be properly and 
profitably grown, but its capabilities had not yet been fairly 
tested in this country. He pointed out that the State forests in 
Germany were worked at a handsome profit to the revenue, 
whereas in England the returns of the Commissioners of Woods 
and Forests showed a loss. He said he was not throwing any 
reflection on the Department. It worked under rigid restrictions, 
and it was those who were responsible for the restrictions that 
should be held to account for allowing the natural resources of 
the country to remain undeveloped.— Scotsman. 
A TREE-STRANGLING FuNncGus.! 
This fungus (Zhelephora laciniata) has long been known as a 
destructive pest to young trees of various kinds. Quite recently 
some hundreds of ash saplings were killed by it. The fungus 
is not a parasite; that is, it does not penetrate the tissues of the 
plant it attacks, but causes death by strangulation. The fungus 
is most abundant on sandy heaths, where it forms large patches 
of a dark brown colour on the ground; these patches consist of 
several overlapping thin plates with irregularly toothed margins. 
When it happens to be growing near to a plant of heather or 
ling, it grows up round the stem, to which it adheres very closely, 
giving off from time to time a loose frill as it ascends. It 
extends up the stem for a distance of six inches to a foot or 
more, and in course of time kills the stem it has encircled. 
Young conifers planted in such situations often suffer severely, 
it being no uncommon sight to see almost every tree encircled 
1 Reproduced from the Journal of the Board of Agriculture for February 
1906, by permission of the Controller of His Majesty’s Stationery Office, 
