40 THE "BLUING" AND THE "RED ROT" OF THE PINE. 



which is probably two years old. The sapwood is wholly converted into a 

 brown, brittle mass. Such a tree is liable to be blown over at any time. 



PLATE XII. A group of "black-top" trees of the bull pine near Elmore, S. Dak., 

 showing how the tops break off after the trees have been dead for some time. 

 Many of the tops are visible, lying near the base of the trees. A single "black 

 top" from which the top has not fallen is seen at the left. The standing trunks 

 are decayed for several feet downward from the point where the top broke off. 

 The base ot these trunks is generally sound, and contains enough timber to make 

 a good cross-tie. 



PLATE XIII. Fig. 1. View of a broken top, showing how it has broken off almost 

 straight across. Near the middle of the figure a fruiting body of the " red-rot " 

 fungus (Polyporus ponderoms, n. sp. ) is growing out. Fig. 2. Base of a dead bull 

 pine (Pinus ponderosa) near Elmore, S. Dak., showing a number of fruiting 

 organs of the "red-rot" fungus (Polyporus ponderosus, n. sp.) growing out from 

 the wood. These are the bodies variously known as "punks," "toadstools," 

 "mushrooms," or "frogstools." The double one to the left is very old. Note 

 the cracked upper surface. A section of the trunk made at the point where 

 these bodies are growing out would appear much like PI. XI, fig. 3. 



PLATE XIV. Sections of the ends of two cross-ties cut from dead timber, showing 

 defects which are so serious that ties of this kind should be rejected. Fig. 1. 

 Defective because of the "red rot." Fig. 2. Defective because of a disease of the 

 living timber. 



