MISCELLANEOUS NOTES 281 



while the mature spores have germinated in a single hour. 

 This result differs, however, from Howard's result, which 

 is possibly to be accounted for by difference in the medium 

 (culture fluid) used in the experiments. I am not aware 

 what was used by Howard, but that used by the writer is 

 made from material of a half-ripe pod. This is first 

 pounded to a pulp, which becomes mucilaginous when mixed 

 with water. The material is then srtrained through fine 

 cloth and the resultant liquor is boiled and allowed to cool. 

 By this time it has lost its mucilaginous character and has 

 assumed the colour of brown sherry. It is then filtered 

 and afterwards sterilised in flasks, and when cool is ready 

 for use, and drop and tube cultures can readily be made 

 by infecting it with a few spores of either form. It has been 

 found that pods can readily be inoculated by inserting a 

 .minute quantity of the spores into a small cut, that the 

 disease rapidly destroys the pod in a few days, and that a 

 heap of empty pods rapidly rots when infected, and will 

 produce myriads of spores. Specimens have recently 

 come to hand which show that this disease is present in 

 some pods which to the ordinary observer appear perfectly 

 healthy. It has been found in the branches of trees of 

 fairly vigorous groAvth, and it has been found in the 

 branches, stems, and roots of young trees three to four 

 years old, which are said to have died from " root disease." 

 In the pods the presence of the pest is generally discovered 

 by the appearance of brown spots which precede the rot, 

 but this is not always the case, as pods apparently sound 

 will develop in a damp chamber the characteristic fructifi- 

 cations of the fungus. In " root disease " the first indi- 

 cation of mischief is shown by a yellowing and rapid 

 drooping or wilting of the leaves, on the appearance of 

 which the damage is complete and the tree rapidly becomes 

 dead and dry. The fungus, however, can be found by 

 placing pieces of the wood and bark in damp chambers, 

 when the " pycnidia," hitherto unseen under the bark, 

 develop and discharge the spores in spiral or contorted, 

 gummy threads, which, though white when fij^st exuded, 



