SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE, JUNE 29. 



cxi 



remained undisturbed for a length of time, and possibly under 

 tree or trees, which would account for its appearance in the last 

 bed. I should say the reason why mushrooms did not appear in 

 due course was, because the manure for the beds was not properly 

 prepared ; that it was made up too quickly, and consequently 

 burnt the mycelium in the sets ; or that it was not sufficiently 

 fermented, and so rotted the mycelium. If your correspondent 

 makes up another bed, and obtains the soil for casing from else- 

 where, he will be convinced that the spawn is not to blame, no 

 matter where he had it from, as I never yet saw any false fungi 

 where the compost has been properly prepared and good loam 

 used. Could you procure a cake of the spawn for my inspection ? 

 If so, I will make a careful examination of it, and use it with 

 some that I am shortly spawning a bed with. I would then 

 report further on the subject." 



Rhododendron with Fungus. — Mr. W. Wilks brought a 

 specimen of the fungus Exobasidium rhododendri. It is de- 

 scribed in Dr. W. G. Smith's edition of Tubeuf's Diseases of 

 Plants, p. 427. 



Scientific Committee, June 29, 1897. 

 Mr. McLachlan in the Chair, and four members present. 



Bomneya diseased. — The following report was received from 

 Kew upon the specimens sent to the last meeting : — " The 

 disease is caused by an obscure organism, considered by Prunet 

 as a species of Cladochytrium. A preliminary notice is given in 

 Comptes Bendus, October 1, 1894. The detailed account there 

 promised is not yet to hand." 



Grapes attacked by Glceosporiwn. — With reference to the 

 examples sent to the last meeting, Mr. Malcolm Dunn writes, 

 after inspecting the Vine-houses at Auchterarder House, that 

 " the vinery is of the usual ' lean-to ' form, well heated arid 

 ventilated, with everything in good order for growing healthy 

 vines and first-rate grapes. The vines comprise some six or 

 seven varieties, but only Black Hamburgh suffers to a serious 

 extent from the disease ; although it could be detected on a few 

 berries of Foster's White Seedling, and still fewer of Alicante. 

 As far as I can remember, Muscat of Alexandria, Lady Downes, 

 Madresfield Court, Gros Colmar, and one or two others were 



