SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE, FEBRUARY 14. 
xxiii 
following interesting report : — " The portions of branches of Apple sent 
show a disease with the following characters. The wood is sound, except 
where in contact with the bark ; the bark is completely disorganised, 
with the exception of the hard fibres and the dry outer corky layer. 
Investigations for signs of fungi or insects made on arrival of the material 
(December 19) gave no result. Portions were placed in a moist chamber 
and examined during January. The bark became soft and spongy, no 
fungus-growth appeared, but bacteria were found in numbers. Amongst 
other bacterial forms, a bacillus was common which agreed with that 
figured by Duggar {Cornell University Bulletin, 145, 1898). Other 
symptoms, as far as presented by the material sent, agreed with American 
descriptions of the bacterial disease * fire-blight.' We have, however, 
no record of the tree having blackened twigs or leaves during last summer 
— an important symptom of this disease. ' Fire-blight ' was proved, 
chiefly by the work of Burrill, in 1880, to be due to the action of bacteria. 
A good general account, based on further research, is given by Waite 
(Year-hook of the U.S. America Department of Agric2ilture, 1895). The 
Fig. 7. — Lourya campanulata. [Gardenn^s^ Chronicle.) 
disease appears in America on Pear and Quince oftener than on Apple, 
and is also known on allied species. It attacks chiefly vigorous well-fed 
trees with much soft young wood, similar, in fact, to this Apple-tree as 
described by your correspondent. A warm moist season or situation 
favours the disease ; dry weather checks it ; and during winter it makes 
little progress. The remedy is to prune off thoroughly all parts which 
show discoloured or destroyed bark, and to carefully burn them. Pruning 
is best done in autumn or spring. The cuts must be made well below 
diseased parts, and large wounds should be painted with tar. If the 
pruning be severe, it may induce a large growth of young wood next 
season : this must be carefully watched, as it is an excellent starting 
point for a reappearance of the disease. The bacteria are propagated by 
insects, which visit a gummy fluid containing bacteria, which is given out 
