﻿338 
  Geological 
  Survey 
  of 
  IvOuisiana 
  [Sect. 
  

  

  the 
  mushrooms 
  as 
  well. 
  The 
  fruiting 
  surface 
  being 
  the 
  under 
  

   surface 
  generally, 
  the 
  plane 
  of 
  the 
  cap 
  or 
  pileus 
  is 
  parallel 
  with 
  

   the 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  earth, 
  so 
  that 
  the 
  spores 
  of 
  the 
  fungus 
  can 
  

   fall 
  easily 
  out 
  of 
  the 
  tubes, 
  or 
  from 
  between 
  the 
  awl-shaped 
  pro- 
  

   cesses, 
  or 
  from 
  between 
  the 
  gills 
  or 
  lamellae, 
  as 
  the 
  case 
  may 
  be. 
  

   Accidents 
  in 
  growth. 
  — 
  Now, 
  if 
  by 
  any 
  chance 
  the 
  bracket, 
  or 
  

   cap, 
  becomes 
  turned 
  in 
  another 
  direction 
  before 
  the 
  fungus 
  has 
  

   completed 
  its 
  growth, 
  it 
  will 
  either 
  change 
  back, 
  as 
  in 
  the 
  case 
  

   of 
  the 
  mushrooms, 
  or 
  new 
  growths 
  will 
  start 
  out 
  from 
  the 
  edge 
  

   of 
  the 
  bracket 
  in 
  the 
  tough 
  or 
  woody 
  forms. 
  Now, 
  if 
  we 
  examine 
  

   Plate 
  62 
  of 
  this 
  Dcedalea, 
  we 
  shall 
  see 
  the 
  position 
  of 
  the 
  plant 
  

   after 
  the 
  tree 
  fell. 
  Since 
  the 
  entire 
  edge 
  of 
  the 
  large 
  bracket 
  

   was 
  still 
  in 
  a 
  growing 
  condition 
  there 
  are 
  established 
  a 
  large 
  

   number 
  of 
  growing 
  points, 
  each 
  of 
  which 
  develops 
  a 
  new 
  

   bracket 
  parallel 
  with 
  the 
  surface 
  of 
  the 
  earth, 
  forming 
  a 
  series 
  

   of 
  steps 
  up 
  one 
  side 
  and 
  down 
  the 
  other. 
  

  

  Importance 
  of 
  a 
  Study 
  of 
  These 
  Fungi 
  

  

  From 
  a 
  few 
  of 
  the 
  observations 
  here 
  presented 
  it 
  will 
  be 
  seen 
  

   how 
  some 
  of 
  these 
  fungi 
  work 
  serious 
  injuries 
  to 
  forest 
  and 
  

   timber 
  interests. 
  The 
  trees 
  which 
  are 
  attacked 
  may 
  live 
  on 
  for 
  

   years 
  or 
  even 
  for 
  a 
  century 
  or 
  more, 
  but 
  each 
  3^ear 
  the 
  injury 
  

   to 
  the 
  timber 
  in 
  the 
  tree 
  is 
  greater, 
  until 
  within 
  a 
  few 
  years 
  it 
  is 
  

   worthless. 
  A 
  careful 
  study 
  of 
  the 
  conditions 
  of 
  attack 
  by 
  these 
  

   enemies 
  of 
  the 
  forest, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  of 
  their 
  life 
  histories, 
  and 
  the 
  

   characteristic 
  injuries 
  to 
  the 
  trees 
  would 
  do 
  much 
  to 
  teach 
  us 
  

   how 
  to 
  prevent 
  such 
  injuries 
  and 
  loss 
  in 
  the 
  forest. 
  The 
  

   wonderful 
  variety 
  of 
  form 
  and 
  kind 
  among 
  these 
  plants 
  make 
  

   them 
  objects 
  of 
  great 
  importance 
  to 
  those 
  who 
  are 
  interested 
  in 
  

   nature. 
  There 
  is 
  here 
  a 
  great 
  field 
  for 
  new 
  observations 
  on 
  the 
  

   part 
  of 
  those 
  whose 
  professional 
  work 
  leads 
  them 
  to 
  the 
  forest. 
  

   When 
  such 
  persons 
  become 
  interested 
  enough 
  in 
  these 
  questions 
  

   to 
  prepare 
  themselves 
  for 
  making 
  accurate 
  observations, 
  by 
  

   some 
  training 
  in 
  the 
  study 
  of 
  fungi, 
  they 
  can 
  do 
  great 
  good 
  

   in 
  bringing 
  to 
  light 
  a 
  fuller 
  knowledge 
  of 
  the 
  habits 
  and 
  dis- 
  

   tribution 
  of 
  these 
  plants, 
  and 
  careful 
  study 
  by 
  trained 
  observers 
  

   must 
  precede 
  any 
  successful 
  attempts 
  toward 
  a 
  rational 
  treatment 
  

   designed 
  to 
  lessen 
  the 
  losses 
  now 
  sustained 
  from 
  these 
  sources. 
  

  

  