3^7 



A. W. BORTHWICK. Frost canker of "Picea sitchensis". (Notes 



Roy. Bot. Gard. Edinburgh, 1909, No. 20, pp. 263-265, pi. I); 

 E. S. R. Washington, May, 1910. 



The Menzies or Sitka spruce, which is extensively grown in 

 parts of England on account of its value as timber, is dying in 

 large quantities from a form of canker, young trees being the worst 

 sufferers. 



The first symptom of the attack is a change in the foliage from 

 dark green to pale yellow. Next the leader loses its leaves, turns 

 dark red in color, and its buds or branches are arrested in growth. 

 The needles are retained on the older parts and if the trees are 

 not killed outright an attempt is made to replace the leader by a 

 side branch. The stem in many cases was found to be cankered. 

 The canker at first is a small flattened area from which exudes a 

 thin, bluish white resin. Later the bark splits, exposing the wood, 

 and the tree attempts to cover this by a callus formation. Fructi- 

 fications of an Ascomycete are invariably present and may be the 

 cause of the disease, but an anatomical examination of the tissues 

 leaves little doubt that frost is the primary cause. A severe frost 

 of 10 to 15 occurring in May is supposed to have caused the 

 injury. 



Other conifers have also been attacked in a similar manner. 



A. W. BORTHWICK. A new disease of Picea. (Notes R. Bot. 

 Garden., No. 20, pp. 259-261, PI. I, Edinburgh, 1909); Exp. St. 

 Record, May 1910. 



A brief account is given of a new disease of Picea, which at- 

 tacks the buds of the trees, sometimes stopping their further growth, 

 but if only one side of the bud is attacked, producing a twisted 

 shoot. The diseased buds are encased in a dense black sheath, 

 thickly dotted with the fruit bodies of the fungus, which is described 

 as a new species, Cucurbitaria Picea n. sp. 



C. E. C. FISCHER. The biology of Armillaria mucida. (Ann. 

 Bot., 23, No. 92, pp. 515-585, pis. 2. London, 1909); E. S. R., 

 March 1910. Washington. 



A study was made of this fungus, which is said to be common 

 wherever beech trees occur, in order to trace its life history, in- 



