INTRODUCTION di 



insect and fungoid pests. 1 In a letter to the Board 

 of Agriculture (October 18, 1918) Mr. Ellmore stated : 

 " I have just recently spent most of a fortnight in 

 looking round crops in this (Leicestershire) and other 

 districts, and I have never seen such general destruc- 

 tion before, arising from grubs of various kinds and 

 beetles. Varieties that have never been known to be 

 attacked have suffered considerably this last season." 

 The willow in its natural state, as a monoecious plant, 

 is reproduced by cross fertilisation. Under such con- 

 ditions it attains great vigour of growth, and its range 

 of distribution reaches to the line of perpetual snow. 

 An effective method, therefore, of combating destruc- 

 tive agencies, especially diseases of a fungoid nature, 

 would be to renew and fortify stocks by cross fertili- 

 sation, and thus increase their disease- and pest- 

 resisting power. Experiments in this direction have 

 already been made by a leading authority on the 

 order of Salices, the Rev. E. F. Linton, who between 

 1891 and 1897 was able artificially to hybridise certain 

 species, and who believes that under suitable conditions 

 he could raise improved osiers by cross fertilisation. 

 The present writer drew attention to this aspect of 

 willow cultivation during Mr. Walter Runciman's tenure 

 of office, who expressed his great interest in the sug- 

 gested improvement of osier stocks by cross fertilisation, 

 and quite agreed in its possibility as a profitable 

 subject for research. The Minister also wrote that he 

 would see what he could do to bring it before the 

 notice of agricultural scientists. Nothing since has been 

 heard of the matter. 



THOMAS OKEY. 



1 A leaflet entitled " Insect and Fungus Pests of Osiers and 

 Willows " is about to be issued by the Board of Agriculture 

 and Fisheries. 



