I9Q4-] 



Diseases of Coniferous Trees. 



moss, hair, and feathers is built in holes in trees, walls, or gate 

 posts, and sometimes in pumps, letter-boxes, and other extra- 

 ordinary places. Insects appear to be the principal objects of its 

 search during the summer, and in the winter this tit feeds upon 

 seeds, eggs and pupae of insects and anything it can pick up. 



There is no doubt, however, that the Blue Tit occasionally 

 damages apples and pears by pecking holes in the base, and it 

 is believed that this may occur even when no insects are in 

 the fruit. A correspondent points out that this bird has 

 frequently done damage to his pear crop by perching above the 

 stalk of the fruit when nearly ripe and pecking it, thus causing 

 it to fall or in any case to be unsaleable. In the case of large 

 and valuable pears grown on bushes, the use of small shields of 

 cardboard was found to afford complete protection. The shields 

 were about two inches square, with a hole in the centre and a 

 slit on one side to enable them to be placed round the stalk of 

 the pear. 



Specimens of Douglas Fir {Abies douglasii) from Surrey show 

 a disease not hitherto recorded for this country, although it has 



been observed on the Silver Fir (Abies 

 Diseases of . . , . 



Coniferous Trees. P cctinaia ) m Italy. 



The injury is caused by a minute fungus 

 called Phoma dura, which attacks the extreme ends of the 

 shoots, killing the leaves and the terminal bud. The injured 

 leaves and bud become brown and contract into a compact tuft, 

 which is eventually removed by wind. The spores of the fungus 

 mature on the fallen leaves. 



The" Swiss Stone Pine (Pinus cembra) has, unfortunately, to be 

 added to the list of conifers susceptible to the attacks of " Larch 

 canker" (Dasyscypka calycind), several trees growing in Surrey 

 being badly attacked by this parasite. 



The Japanese Larch [Larix leptolepsis) has also succumbed to 

 " Larch canker." Specimens from two localities in Scotland, 

 brought to Kew for investigation by Dr. A. Henry, show the 

 characteristic wounds and resin-flow, also spermogonia of the 

 fungus on living branches. On dead branches the perfect con- 

 dition of the fungus is also present. 



