298 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XII. No. 295. 



Canker,' was distributed, tlie writer re- 

 ceived specimens of diseased apple limbs 

 from, various parts of the United States and 

 Canada. Among the rest was a specimen 

 from Nova Scotia which was noticeably 

 different from any that I had yet seen. 

 The injury was about six inches long on a 

 limb two inches in diameter. Within the 

 diseased area was a series of six ridges or 

 convolutions in the wood surrounding a 

 central starting point, each one of which 

 evidently marked a year's growth of a par- 

 asitic fungus. The fungus, (Sp/iceropsis ma- 



no fungus fruit in evidence, and as I was 

 unsuccessful in obtaining more specimens 

 the matter was dropped for a time. 



In the latter part of May several speci- 

 mens of diseased apple limbs were received 

 from East Homer, Cortland County, IST. 

 Y., that were similar in appearance to 

 the one from JSTova Scotia, but in addition 

 man}' portions of the dead bark and wood 

 were thickly studded with the minute, 

 deep red perithecia of a Nectria. Among 

 the specimens were examples of recent in- 

 fections as is shown at a, in the figure, as well 



Sii.-. 



lorum Peck., which has been shown to be 

 the cause of the common New York apple 

 tree canker, is more active in its growth. 

 With this disease large areas of bark may 

 be destroyed and the wood laid bare, or in 

 other instances the bark may be much 

 swollen and roughened, but the form of 

 injury described above does not occur. 



The appearance of the diseased limb, 

 which was similar to that shown in Fig. 

 1 at c, strikingly resembled the work of 

 Nectria ditissima as illustrated and described 

 by European writers. However there was 



as cankers of several years standing. The 

 perithecia were abundant on all these speci- 

 mens, so there seemed little doubt but that 

 the Nectria was the cause of the diseased 

 condition. 



On visiting the locality it was found that 

 the fungus was evidently confined to a 

 small area and but few additional speci- 

 mens were secured. 



Through the kindness of Professor F. C. 

 Sears, Wolfville, IST. S. , more specimens of 

 the diseased apple limbs were obtained 

 from that locality in June and the perithecia 



