SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE, SEPTEMBER 6. 



clxv 



Scientific Committee, September 6, 1904. 

 Dr. M. C. Cooke, V.M.H., in the Chair, and five members present. 



Pink Mould on Charred Wood. — Dr. Cooke, V.M.H., reported that the 

 pink mould on burnt wood, sent by Mr. Saunders, was common on all 

 kinds of vegetable matier, dead cr decaying, and had recently been 

 claimed as a parasite on Apples (Journ. R.H.S. xxviii. p. 238). The 

 conidia are profuse, colourless, elliptical, and uniseptate when mature. It 

 is called Cephalothecium roseum. 



Orchid Leaves. — Dr. Cooke reported that the light-coloured spots on a, 

 Cypripedium-leaf forwarded by Mr. Douglas were deficient in chorophyll 

 and semi-translucent, but contained no trace of fungi. The dark- 

 coloured spots appeared to be scars from wounds, but contained no trace 

 of fungi. 



Supposed Damage from Foxglove. — Lady Roscoe inquired whether 

 some deleterious substance did not come from Foxgloves which harmed 

 other plants. She was also suspicious of Nicotiana affinis having the 

 same effect, as plants near either seemed to languish. It was considered 

 that any harm could only be done by the shade of the large leaves, or by 

 the roots devouring all the food in the soil. 



Diseased Oak. — Lady Mary Herbert sent specimens of disease in roots 

 of Oak. The specimens plainly showed the marks of injury, and the 

 disease had evidently been caused by water entering through the injured 

 parts and causing ordinary decay. 



Chermes laricis. — Lady Herbert also sent specimens of Larch attacked 

 by this pest, now only too common. Nothing could be done, except to 

 use one of the soft-soap and paraffin sprays. 



Soil. — Mr. Dean, Wainsford, sent specimens of soil which it was pro- 

 posed to use for Peach trees. It showed brown, thread-like marks 

 following the decay of some previously existing roots. It was considered 

 unsuitable for the purpose, as likely to engender fungus. 



Nut-mite. — Adolph Reikmann, Esq., Mottingham, complained that 

 having been compelled to destroy his Black Currants on account of the 

 bud-mite, the insect (or one very like it) seemed now to be attacking his 

 Filberts. 



Checked Fungus Pests— Dr. Cooke, V.M.H., read the following 

 communication to the Committee : — 



" A correspondent forwarded me recently the leaves from Apple trees of 

 one special variety, which were plentifully marked with the orbicular spots 

 which are characteristic of the Apple-leaf spot, Scptoriapyricola, but which 

 bore no perithecia, and consequently no fruit, Hence it is scarcely possible 

 to be certain that the spots were caused by the Septoria, the. identity of which 

 depends upon the sporules, but any practical mycologist would have no 

 hesitation in referring them to Septoria pyricola. With the leaves came 

 the information that some trees were completely defoliated, and others 

 partly so, besides which it was intimated that all the trees had been 

 plentifully sprayed with ammoniated copper carbonate, and it was asked 

 what further could be done. 



* My inference from this communication, although only a hypothesis, is 



