270 CONIFEROUS TREES 



abundant everywhere, both in Hving and dead 

 wood, the latter principally. The use of immature 

 timber in buildings, aided by imperfect ventila- 

 tion, is the main cause of attack. Carbolic acid 

 appUed to the attacked timber is to be recom- 

 mended, and painting with carbolineum produces 

 excellent results. 



Fungi do not, as a rule, thrive on dusty, dry 

 wood, but the present species is an exception, as, 

 when once estabUshed, it produces, by respira- 

 tion, water in sufficient quantity to render the 

 infected timber either moist or sodden. The decay 

 in mining timber, especially in coal-pits, is due in 

 a great measure to dry rot, and in Westminster 

 Hall the oak beams were found to be in many 

 instances attacked by this fungus in conjunction 

 with one of the boring beetles. In the Yorkshire 

 and Midland coal-pits, treating the timber with 

 creosote, carbolineum, or other antiseptics is 

 regularly resorted to. 



Peziza resinaria. — ^The Spruce in southern 

 England is occasionally infested with this fungus, 

 the attacks being nearly similar to those of the 

 Larch Canker. It is a wound parasite, and mainly 

 induced by frost cracks, excessive or bad pruning, 

 or by leaving injured branches or snags on trees. 



Leaf - shedding Fungus or Pine Leaf Cast 

 {Lophodermium pinastri) is a well-known and 

 widely distributed species, and is usually found on 

 the Scotch and Austrian pines. The leaves, when 

 attacked, wither suddenly and fall off, the fungus 

 being most prevalent after unusually dry weather, 

 or in early spring after a frosty winter. It occurs 

 both as a saprophyte on dead pine leaves and as 



