INJURIOUS AND OTHER FUNGI. 87 



nouncecl that Part II of the Transactions of the Society foi- 

 ls 76, was read}' for distribution. 



William E. Bowditch, of Boston Highlands, and 

 Hiram Wilde, of Randolph, 

 having been recommended by the Executive Committee, were duly 

 elected to membership. 

 Meetino- dissolved. 



MEETING FOR DISCUSSION. 



The Chairman of the Committee on Discussion announced the 

 subject of the lecture delivered before the Society by Mr. Ilalsted, 

 on the 27th of January — Injurious and other Fungi — for discussion 

 at this meeting. 



Charles M. Hovey said that the injurious effects of fungi were 

 well known, but it was a question in regard to many diseases in 

 plants, where the presence of fungi was noticed, whether these 

 diseases were caused by the fungi, or whether the fungi were the 

 consequence of the disease. The leaf blight, which attacks the 

 foliage and fruit of the pear in the form of black spots, causing the 

 leaves to drop, is well known to be a fungus. The fungus which 

 causes the potato rot has been thoroughly studied and elucidated 

 by writers in European journals, the " resting-spores " having been 

 discovered within a year or two. The best remed}' is to plant early 

 varieties, and to plant and harvest them early, before they are affected 

 by the autumnal rains. We are all familiar with the mildew on the 

 grape vine and with the remedy. Mr. Hovey concluded by ex- 

 pressing the hope that microscopic investigations of all the fungi 

 which are not yet thoroughly understood, would be pursued until 

 some means of preventing the injury which they cause is discovered. 



William C. Strong remarked that in some particulars the subject 

 was well understood, but in others it was not well known. 



President Parkman mentioned the "fungus of the cutting bench," 

 as one of which nothing was said by the lecturer, but one which 

 comes very near to our feelings, if not to our interests. It is an 

 insidious enemy, which in a night will destroy j^ards of cuttings, 

 but for which no remedy is known. 



Mr. Hovey said that he had found hot, dry sand — as hot as possible 

 without injuring the plants — strewed on the cutting bed, a remedy, 



