228 FUNGI. 



Fruit trees do not wholly escape, for Beestelia cancellata, Tul., 

 attacks the leaves of the pear. JPuccinia prunorum affects the 

 leaves of almost all the varieties of plum. Blisters caused by 

 Ascomyces deformans, B., contort the leaves of peaches, as Asco- 

 myces lullatus, B., does those of the pear, and Ascomyces jug- 

 landis, B., those of the walnut. Happily we do not at present 

 suffer from Ascomyces- pruni, Fchl., which, on the Continent, 

 attacks young plum-fruits, causing them to shrivel -and fall. 

 During the past year pear-blossoms have suffered from what seems 

 to be a form of Helminihosporium pyrorum, and the branches are 

 sometimes infected with Capnodium elongatum ; but orchards in 

 the United- States have a worse foe in the " black knot,"* which 

 causes gouty swellings in the branches, and is caused by the 

 SpJitsria morbosa of Schweinitz. 



Cotton plants in India t were described by Dr. Shortt as 

 subject to the attacks of a kind of mildew, which from the 

 description appeared to be a species of JSJrysiphe, but on -receiv- 

 ing specimens from India for examination, we found it to be 

 one of those diseased conditions of tissue formerly classed with 

 fungi under the name of Mrinewm ; and a species of Torula 

 attacks cotton pods after they are ripe. Tea leaves in planta- 

 tions in Cachar have been said to suffer from some sort of blight, 

 but in all that we have seen insects appear to be the depredators, 

 although on the decaying leaves Hendersonia tkeicola, Cooke, 

 establishes itself. J The coffee plantations of Ceylon suffer from 

 the depredations of Hemiliea iiastatrix, as well as from insects.§ 

 Other useful plants have also their enemies in parasitic fungi. 



Olive-trees in the south of Etirope suffer from the attacks of a 

 species of Antennaria, as do also orange and lemon trees from a 

 Capnodium, which covers the foliage as if with a coating of soot. 

 In fact most useful plants appear to have some enemy to contend 

 with, and it is fortunate, not only for the plant, but its cultiva- 



* C. H. Peck, "On the Black Knot," in " Quekett Microscopical Journal," 

 vol. iii. p. 82. 



t Cooke, "Microscopic Fungi," p. 177. 



J "Grevillea," i. p. 90. 



§ " Gardener's Chronicle," 1873. 



