CRYPTOGAMIC PLANTS INJURIOUS TO FOREST TREES. 253 



possible from all traces of the spawn. Immediately afterwards, 

 and before the roots got dry, they were taken and replanted on 

 the trenched ground, which was prepared for them as the work 

 proceeded. Every tree received two cart-loads of good, sound, 

 fresh loam, in which its roots were carefully laid out to their full 

 extent so as to give the tree a good start. As each tree was 

 planted it was securely staked, and received a thorough watering 

 to settle the soil about its roots. 



The old roots taken out of the ground during the trenching 

 were carted away, the surface levelled, the turf relaid, and all 

 finished off before winter set in. Since that time, scarcely a 

 fungus of any kind has ever appeared on the ground that was 

 previously so badly infested with them. After such severe treat- 

 ment, the Wellingtonias made little growth the first year, but 

 with occasional watering in dry weather all were kept alive and 

 gradually assumed their usual healthy green appearance, and 

 during the following seasons they have thriven well and have 

 quite recovered from all symptoms of having suffered so severely 

 from the attacks of fungi. Neither has there been any sign of 

 the reappearance of the fungus, although several seasons since 1865 

 have been quite as favourable as that year was for its production ; 

 hence the removal of the decaying elm roots, which furnished a 

 favourable medium for the production and growth of the fungus, 

 has saved the Wellingtonias from being further molested by the 

 insidious inroads of its mycelium or spawn. 



Again, to give another instance (which happened under my 

 own observation) of the destructive power of fungi upon young 

 forest trees. In a small mixed plantation of ash, Spanish chest- 

 nut, hornbeam, poplar, willow, and hazel, which was planted 

 in 1857-58, upon ground that had been cleared two years pre- 

 viously of a crop of heavy oak, ash, elm, and beech, and in 

 which all the old stumps and roots were allowed to remain, the 

 ash, poplar, and willow began to fail in 1861, and by 1863 there 

 was scarcely a plant alive of any of them upon an area of about 

 six acres, which was felt to be a serious loss, as they were specially 

 planted with the view of producing a crop of hop-poles, which 

 were much in demand and brought remunerative prices in the 

 district. On pulling up and examining the dying plants, I found 

 the roots were covered with the spawn of fungi, which permeated 

 the bark and alburnum with a perfect web of white threads, 

 and as the plants decayed penetrating their wood and hastening 



