88 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



though not complete and thorough. The fungus seems to thrive 

 best in a certain temperature and moisture, which the hot sand 

 corrects. 



President Parkman said that prevention is better than cure, and 

 that this was best effected b}' careful attention to the purity of the 

 sand, and to maintaining a proper temperature and moisture. 

 Where the fungus has destro3"ed cuttings, the sand is observed to 

 be netted with small white filaments. 



Mr. Strong thought the means recommended by the President 

 as a preventive would tend to cure the trouble. 



Mrs. J. "W. Wolcott asked whether it would not be possible to 

 find the spores and destroy them before the m^xelium was formed. 

 It appeared that no one had observed the fungus until it had done 

 the mischief. 



President Parkman replied that a long course of scientific obser- 

 vation would be necessary to gain the knowledge suggested, and that 

 such investigation was very desirable. Perhaps by it some remedy 

 might be discovered, as in the case of the plum knot. The observa- 

 tion which can be given by cultivators is not of the minute character 

 necessary'. After raising a crop or two of cuttings, the sand be- 

 comes filled with vegetable matter, and should be kept continually 

 clean by washing. 



Mrs. AYolcott asked if it was not possible to persuade cultivators 

 to accept the discoveries of scientific men, and to save themselves 

 from pecuniary loss by preventing fungus. She thought there was 

 an opposition among gardeners, which was much to be regretted, to 

 accepting and acting upon such discoveries. 



President Parkman replied that scientific investigation was as 

 important in horticulture as in other matters, and that the highest 

 practical results could not be had without it. 



Mr. Strong thought that we should be modest and not attempt to 

 go beyond our depth in these discussions. He had observed various 

 facts in regard to the fungus under consideration. He had noticed 

 that its growth depended on a humid condition of the soil and at- 

 mosphere. He alluded to the remedy proposed by Mr. Hovey, and 

 said that, besides this, thoroughly aerating the sand every time of 

 using would be beneficial. 



Mr. Hovey had never noticed any mycelium, more than a web 

 over the bed, which seemed to be composed of infinitesimal parti- 

 cles of water. This web was over, rather than in, the soil — not over 



