THE SOUTHERN" CYPEESS. 37 



coast which, like cypress, represents the flora of a previous geologic 

 epoch. He did not, however, determine the cause of the disease. 

 The junipers also are affected in a somewhat similar manner. Among 

 other things, Von Schrenk pointed out that pecky cypress is most 

 prevalent in the southern range, and decreases in amount toward the 

 north in the colder climate. Investigations by the Bureau of Plant 

 Industry, United States Department of Agriculture, in 1913, led to the 

 discovery by Long 1 of the "punks " or fruiting bodies of this fungus on 

 cypress and its identification as Fomes geotropus Cooke, a tropical and 

 subtropical species infesting many of our southern hardwoods, and 

 closely related to Fomes ulmarius Fries, of Europe. In the base, 

 the presence of water in abundance causes vigorous activity, and the 

 entire heartwood is frequently destroyed, leaving hollow butts. 

 The fungus is most prevalent, however, in the upper portions of trees, 

 where it gains entrance, presumably, through wounds in the bark. 

 On account of lack of sufficient moisture, its growth here is very 

 slow. In the case of broken-off tops, cavities are formed in which 

 rain water collects, thus affording conditions of moisture and free air 

 circulation favorable to the leaching and disintegration of the resin 

 in the wood and the resultant advance of the fungus. Loggers some- 

 times discover large, apparently sound cypress trunks consisting of 

 only a shell of sapwood above the base. The pecky fungus is perhaps 

 indirectly the most active cause of the death of cypress, since it eats 

 out the supporting heartwood, allowing the wind to tear down piece 

 by piece the remaining portions of the tree. As indicated on page 16, 

 pecky cypress is one of the standard grades of lumber. Because it is 

 strong in proportion to its weight and because, so far as is known, 

 its lasting qualities are not affected, it is valuable, and is used exten- 

 sively for many purposes. 



The immunity of cypress wood to bluing gives it a marked economic 

 advantage both in logging and milling. At present great numbers of 

 logs that have lain for 15 to 25 years in the swamp are being utilized. 

 The lumber from such logs averages somewhat darker in color, but in 

 genera] can not be distinguished from stock freshly felled. 



INSECT DAMAGE. 



ligations conducted by the Bureau of Entomology, 

 United States Department of Agriculture, show that the principal 

 insect d bo bald cypress is that caused by several species of 



pinhole boren or ambrosia beetles in the wood of girdled trees, logs 

 cut from living trees, and freshly sawed lumber. 



For full information regarding this kind of injury and the methods 

 recommended for preventing losses, the read< p is referred to Circular 



1 Long, W. ii. \ preliminary note on the cau e ol "pecky" cypress. Phytopathology i, No. i: ::<», 

 V., 1914. 



