News and Notes 



105 



igniarius, Fomes Laricis, F. fraxinophilus, Elfvingia fasciata, 

 and Porodaedalea Pini. 



" Silver leaf, a disease of fruit trees," by H. T. Giissow. This 

 disease exists from one end of Canada to the other, as well as 

 in many parts of Europe. It is caused by Stereum piirpureum, 

 acting within the trunk and branches, and is probably distributed 

 by the transportation of lumps of mycelium from one tree to 

 another during the process of cultivation. 



" Observations on the deterioration and utilization of fire-killed 

 timber in the Northwest," by J. R. Weir. The rots of coni- 

 ferous timber were chiefly discussed. The blue-staining fungus 

 is very important in burned trunks. If the sap was ascending 

 when the fire occurred, there is more food and more rapid fung- 

 ous growth. Standing trunks have more water, which prevents 

 access of air and consequently retards fungous attack. The 

 reason why few fungi are found on badly burned logs is due to 

 the fact that the organic food substances are disorganized by the 

 intense heat. Fires are often good for forests, ridding them of 

 fungous pests. In places on the west of the continental divide, 

 fungous infections sometimes totalled fifty per cent, or more. 



The use of soil fungicides to prevent damping off," by Carl 

 Hartley. For coniferous seed-beds in sandy soil, apply three- 

 sixteenths of a fluid ounce of commercial sulfuric acid in water 

 to a square foot of surface, and water the beds twice a day dur- 

 ing the germination period to prevent injury from the acid. This 

 treatment does not apply to angiosperms. Pure acid is four 

 times as effective as commercial. 



" The relative merits of lime-sulphur, lead benzoate, and 

 Bordeaux mixture for spraying potatoes," by F. C. Stewart and 

 G. T. French. Bordeaux mixture was found to be by far the 

 best, preserving the foliage, prolonging the life of the plant, and 

 greatly increasing the yield. Lime-sulphur showed a dwarfing, 

 rather than a stimulating effect; and lead benzoate had little or 

 no effect. 



Some wood preservations, with special reference to their 

 toxic properties," by C. J. Humphrey. Creosote is being thor- 

 oughly investigated at present, cultures of Fomes annosus being 

 used to determine its toxic effects. Of the five fractions in creo- 



