FUNGUS GROWTH ON TREES 99 



mould have all become a prey to this fell 

 disease. Low-lying, badly drained land is 

 certainly the home of the disease, and especi- 

 ally where mists and frosts prevail ; but the 

 moist climate of Britain generally favours the 

 spread of the fungus. At one time, some 

 dozen years ago, it was thought that larch 

 growing on the Irish peat-bogs were exempt 

 from the disease, but unfortunately this is not 

 the case. 



The first indication of the larch disease is 

 a gouty swelling on the stem or branch, which 

 quickly splits open and causes the resin to 

 flow copiously, giving a dark, glistening ap- 

 pearance to the affected parts. Gradually the 

 wound becomes larger, pieces of dry, hardened 

 bark peel off, and the whole has a dark, scurfy 

 appearance. The fungus in itself is small and 

 cup-shaped, in colour bright yellow, with a 

 greyish margin, and is widely propagated by 

 means of the abundantly produced spores. 



Though we have known instances in which 

 cankerous trees have partially recovered, yet 

 it is generally accepted that, once a tree has 

 fallen a prey to this insidious disease, it rarely 



