FUNGUS GROWTH ON TREES 95 



beech. Quite recently a nut plantation in 

 Kent suffered severely from the attacks of this 

 fungus, whole lines of trees being killed out 

 before the cause was detected. It spreads 

 quickly underground from tree to tree, and 

 unless eradicated, which is easily done by 

 uprooting affected trees and carefully destroy- 

 ing the mycelium, much damage may be the 

 result. 



The white-rot fungus (Fames igniarius) is 

 usually found on hard-wooded trees, and takes 

 possession of wounds that may have been 

 occasioned by the accidental breaking of a 

 branch or stem injury. Oak trees suffer most 

 from the attacks of this fungus, which is often 

 a foot across, and of a brownish colour. It is 

 named igniarius on account of the inner surface 

 being used as tinder, when prepared with salt- 

 petre, especially in the old days of flint and 

 steel. By removing the fungus and attending 

 to the wound in the matter of cleaning away 

 all dead and dying matter, and coating with 

 tar, much good will be brought about. 



One of the commonest fungi on old stumps 

 is Agaricus or Armillaria melleus, the tree 



