Witches Brooms on Trees 535 



surrounded by small twigs which are of the same nature as 

 broom formation, and due, no doubt, to similar causes. A 

 remarkable example of this is shown in our figure, which is 

 reproduced from a photograph given to the Haslemere 

 Museum by Mr. Sydney Webb, of Dover. 



In many instances " brooms " produce leaves and even 

 flowers, just like those on normal branches, but in many 

 others the leaves are dwarfed and curled. In the instance, 

 of a very large one which grew on a larch and which was 

 cut and brought to the Haslemere Museum two or three 

 years ago, the twigs formed a dense compact mass upon 

 which, wherever there was room, well grown needles were 

 present. There were also both male and female flowers, and 

 near the middle were many old cones which had never been 

 shed. No trace of parasite, either insect or fungus, could be 

 discovered. The broom, which was an enormous one and 

 well characterised, had evidently been of very slow growth. 



Several examples of enormous brooms on conifers, especially 

 the Scotch pine, may be seen near Haslemere. In one, in 

 which the tree is near a house, the sparrows have for many 

 years used the broom as a nesting place. 



Photographs have been supplied to us showing isolated 

 brooms on an elm, and on a whitethorn tree. On the latter 

 they are exceedingly rare, and have perhaps not been pre- 

 viously recorded. 



[We shall in future have more to say on this subject.] 



