THE ‘‘ WITCHES’ BROOMS” OF THE SOUTH MIDLANDS 117 
The species enumerated have been noticed within a radius of ten 
or twelve miles of Luton, an area which includes parts of the 
adjoining counties of Beds and Herts. 
e records have been made during a period of five years pre- 
ceding the close of 1907. It is not suggested that the list is 
exhaustive, but it is at least fairly representative of the subject as 
and induce the abnormal growths. Of the latter, two cases 
are here recorded, in both of which the brooms were developed 
on the main stem; these are on hornbeam near Luton, and on 
beech at Chaul End. Birch-trees are also liable to disease from 
both these causes, but at present that due to a fungus has only 
been observed in this distric 
h 
or more, the trees appear to maintain their normal vigour, and 
although the diseased portions are usually barren, the other parts 
produce a full crop of fruits. In cherry, both the wild and culti- 
‘limbs are destroyed, and in extreme cases the entire organism 
perishes. At Harpenden, within a hundred yards of the western 
end of the experimental grass-plots in Rothamstead Park, there is 
a grove of wild cherry-trees which, in different individuals, 
exhibit every stage of the disease. In cherry-orchards, such as 
that at Top Street Farm, Harpenden, the fruit-bearing capacity of 
the trees is seriously diminished. 
The phenomena associated with the growth of the brooms are, 
usually, crumpling of the foliage, barrenness, and brevity of life of 
the twigs. The leaves fall at an early period; in the case of the 
common elm, several weeks before the healthy foliage. In cherry 
and hornbeam the leaves on the brooms exhibit rich crimson hues 
of various shades through the whole summer, and fall in the early 
autumn. The twigs live for only one or two seasons, dying down 
to near the base, at which point a leaf-bud starts a new growth, 
that these brooms contain numerous dead twigs and comparatively 
few living ones, hence their opaque appearance. _ : 
many trees, notably beeches, an excessive development 
of weak branches is produced at the base of the trunk, an ab- 
normal growth probably associated with the disease known as 
“ gnarling. F tata es 
In the following list the parasite, where known, is nee : 
im several cases examples not observed till the autumn of the 
n 
of the names of the parasitic fungi I have to gratefully acknow- 
ledge the assistance of Dr. W. G. Smith, of the Forkshire College, 
Leeds. : 7 
