274 CONIFEROUS TREES 



epiphytal plants, but care in its application is 

 recommended. 



Not only are growing trees affected by fungi, 

 but both converted and unconverted timber, 

 particularly such as is in an unsound or immature 

 condition, quickly fall a prey to the attacks of 

 these decay-inducing organisms. 



Wood is largely composed of lignin and cellulose 

 with some stored starch, the special food of some 

 fungi, and unless these are rendered incapable of 

 sustaining the life of saprophytes, decay is sooner 

 or later bound to come about. As a preventive 

 against both insect and fungus attacks, creosote 

 and carbolineum have been found particularly 

 valuable, and not only so, but, by shutting up 

 the pores of the wood and displacing air and 

 water, the lifetime of the timber is greatly in- 

 creased. Other substances, such as corrosive 

 sublimate and copper sulphate, have been used, 

 but nothing, either on account of efficacy or 

 cheapness, can surpass carbolineum or creosote. 



In the case of young thinnings of pine planta- 

 tions, the trees, if used as fencing, will, in the case 

 of Scotch Pine, last about five years, and of Larch 

 eight years ; whereas, if treated with creosote and 

 fungoid attacks prevented, the lifetime will be 

 extended to nearly treble the period. 



The Common Juniper (Juniperus communis) 

 and the Savin (/. Sahina), the former in particular, 

 suffer severely from the attacks of species of well- 

 known fungi, Gymnosporangium juniperinum and 

 G. sabince. This fungus produces the peculiar 

 woody, knob-like swellings which so distort and 

 kill out numbers of specimens of the juniper on 



