6o 



The, branches appear first to be covered with small raised spots 

 of cork scattered more or less thickly about, which eventually split 

 and become small black sores. When these have become numerous, 

 it can be seen that the whole of the cambium layer and all but the 

 outer bark layer is dark brown or nearly black and rotten and the 

 characteristic pink " writing " fungus appears. The damage is 

 however done before this appearance of the pink fungus. It is quite 

 possible that, as Mr. Bean suggests above, the fungus is a wound 

 parasite as other species of Corticium are. 



It seems also clear that it is more prevalent in wet weather than 

 in dry, and in damp wet spots, that is to say, where the air is over- 

 damp, and there is not a sufficient free current of air. It often 

 appears in rainy weather in thick clumps of ramie or Strobilanthes 

 bushes or other twiggy plants when too dense. 



The exudation of latex from the damaged portion is not unusual 

 in the case of death of the bark from fungus, but it is not easy to see 

 why it should exude. In the specimens it appeared at first often in 

 small-pear shaped globules, which being black from exudation looked 

 very much like a small fungus.. 



The irregular exudation of latex from bark of a rubber tree is 

 always a sign of some injury beneath the bark and usually the 

 occurrence of a fungus. — Ed. 



STRANGE GROWTH OF A PARA RUBBER 

 TREE GUTTING. 



Mr. Bean sends the following curious note on the behaviour of a 

 Para tree: — ^"Eighteen months ago on ouresta,te (Puak, Borneo) a 35^ 

 year old tree was blown down and the trunk having been cut in two 

 pieces by the Javanese was used as corner posts for a rough fence. 

 One of these posts had been rammed in the ground upside down and 

 after a month began to grow. 



In three months there were two shoots eighteen inches long 

 which flowered heavily. No fruit resulted but that was hardly 

 surprising ; however, the cutting is still growing but very slowly." 



It is not of course an uncommon occurrence for a piece of living 

 wood of almost any tree especially soft wood trees to put out 

 branches or shoots for some time after the cutting is made, using 

 up in so doing all the food which happens to be stored at the time in 

 the bit. After which unless by that time the stick has been able to 

 emit roots and feed itself normally, shoots and stick dies. It is, how- 

 ever, unusual for it to grow wrong way up, or to produce flowers. 



I have seen, however, a low fence of crossed sticks made of 

 cuttings of branches of Ceara rubber, Manihot glazmnl flowering 

 and fruiting quite heavily. — Ed. 



