ENEMIES OF CONIFEROUS TREES 269 



wonted vigour, and in any case the timber is 

 almost valueless in a commercial sense. Remedies 

 are almost out of the question in the case of a 

 plantation of larch becoming affected, but isolated 

 specimens may be successfully treated by carefully 

 cutting out the diseased portions of wood and bark 

 and painting with tar. In order partially to 

 avoid the disease, plantations of pure larch should 

 not be established, mixing with hard-wooded 

 species such as the beech and sycamore being 

 recommended. Cleanliness of a plantation goes 

 far in warding off the Larch Canker, and for this 

 reason all dead and diseased trunks and branches 

 should be removed or burnt, and the trees indi- 

 vidually given a fair amount of room, crowded 

 plantations in low-lying, close situations being 

 first attacked. 



Tree Root Rot (Armillaria mellea or Agaricus 

 melleus). — This is one of the commonest fungi on 

 old stumps, and is popularly known as the Tree 

 Root Rot. It has no particular host, being found 

 alike on coniferous and hard-wooded trees, and on 

 both root and stem. Known as the honey fungus 

 and edible, this toadstool is about 3 inches in 

 diameter, and of a yellowish brown or rusty 

 colour, with greyish scales near the top. It 

 spreads with great rapidity both in the soil and 

 between the bark and wood of the affected tree. 

 The only remedy is digging out and destroying 

 the fungus, and, in the case of healthy young 

 trees, collecting and burning the mycelium. 



Dry Rot {Merulius lacrymans). — This is caused 

 by attacks of a too common fungus, usually known 

 by the name of the ''dry-rot fungus.'' It is 



