SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE, JUNE 28. 



Ixv 



some of the flowers fade, owing to the shrivelling of the stalk 

 some two or three inches below the flower. Last year whole 

 roots were affected." It is difficult to pronounce without seeing 

 the early stages, but the general opinion was that frost had 

 checked the buds, and a fungus, possibly a Myxomycete, followed. 

 Buds of Pyrethrum, arrested in an early stage, appeared to have 

 been spoilt by frost and wet having got into them. 



Beeches Dying. — Mrs. A. C. Campbell Swinton, of Berrywell, 

 Dunse, Berwickshire, sent some bark, &c, showing much decay, 

 taken from a very fine old Beech at Kimmerghame. It was 

 described as having a cavity at a fork in which rain-water lodged, 

 but since the tree is only nineteen yards from the bed of the river, 

 the suggestion that the roots have got into the cold soil by the 

 side or beneath the river is, with very little doubt, correct. 

 Beeches preferring dry soil by nature, the above would be a 

 sufficiently probable cause. Mr. Wilks described a case where, 

 in a space of 150 by 20 yards, every shrub and tree dies 

 after a time. The destruction began with a hedge, then Scotch 

 Firs, Oaks, Ashes, and lastly Beeches of about forty-five years 

 of age perished. The cause appeared to be a bed of white sand 

 into which the roots penetrated, thus starving the trees. 



Black Currant Shoots Falling. — Mr. E. Ballard sent speci- 

 mens from a large plantation, which break off at a slight touch 

 or by the wind. Dr. William G. Smith, who has examined 

 them, reports upon them as follows : — " The Currant leaves 

 bore a mildew, but other fungi were also present when I 

 examined the material. The characteristic mode of attack 

 pointed to a species of Peronospora. I have raised good crops 

 of one on fresh portions of the leaves, and am following up the 

 clue. If it be really a species of this family it is new to Britain, 

 although one (Plasmopora ribicola, Schrceter) has been reported 

 from the United States of America. I have observed the emis- 

 sion of motile swarm spores from the sporangia (so-called 

 spores) of fresh material, and otherwise feel sure of the 

 Peronosporea3 nature of this fungus. As to remedy, I should 

 recommend a spraying of Bordeaux Mixture or allied copper 

 mixture. To a Black Currant plantation, this could be done by 

 a knapsack-sprayer. Probably one can be had from the Straw- 

 son Company." 



Cherry Leaves Diseased. — Specimens of the foliage was 



