224 Transactions of the Royal Society of South Africa. 



treating wounds, large or small, of fruit trees with any of the substances in 

 common use. At the same time Tie points out that had the experiments 

 extended over a longer period it might have turned out that the treatment 

 saved the wood from decay which often sets in on exposed wood of fruit 

 trees. Here,, however, it is pointed out that the injury caused by the' 

 dressings might overbalance the protection afforded against decay. 



The whole question of dressing wounds with disinfectants would appear 

 to be well worth serious attention, and especially with reference to particular 

 fungi. Further work along the lines followed by Humphrey and Fleming 

 would give interesting and valuable results. 



Summary.. 



The paper deals with a heart-rot disease in Ptseroxylon utile (Sneeze- 

 wood) caused by Fames rimosus, Berk. 



The distribution of the fungus and the effect it has on the wood of 

 Ftasroxylon utile are fully recorded. 



It appears to have been generally held that this fungus limits itself to 

 Bobinia Pseudacacia, or members of the Leguminosae, and it is therefore all 

 the more interesting to know that in the tfnion of South Africa it has thus 

 far been reported on 11 genera belonging to 8 different natural orders. 



P.taeroxxjlon utile is one of our hardest and most valuable trees, and with 

 endeavours that are being made to get back some of our forests of the past, 

 particular attention should be given to the presence of this fungus in areas 

 demarcated, and every means taken to prevent its spread. 



This is all the more important since we now know the fungus attacks a 

 large number of trees belonging to different orders. 



The fact that fruiting bodieg are not developed after the tree is dead 

 somewhat simplifies the control of the disease along the lines suggested. 



Acknowledgment. 



I have to express my indebtedness to various officers of the Forestry 

 Department for much useful assistance and information. Through the kind 

 assistance of Mr. C. Eoss, Conservator of Forests of the Eastern Cape 

 Conservancy, and the District Forest Officers of his conservancy, a large 

 number oi Polyporaceae have been collected, and we are well on the way 

 towards learning more of the fungi responsible for the destruction of our 

 indigenous trees and also of those living on dead stumps. My thanks are 

 especially due to Mr. J. D. Keet for the great interest he has shown in this 

 important phase of forestry and for the large number of specimens. A good 

 general idea of the destruction caused by Polyporaceae was obtained by the 



