NOTES AND ABSTRACTS. 



143 



as well as a special study of the Xylariae of Brazil. The habitats of 

 the various species are given, and he concludes that about 50 per cent, 

 are either tropical or chiefly tropical, 26 per cent, are confined to the 

 tropics of America, and 24 per cent, are isolated (endemic?) species. 



G. F. S. E. : 



Fungri, Nature of Parasitic. By H. T. Giissow {Gard. Chron. 

 1912, March 23, p. 183; March 30, p. 198; April 6, p. 215).— A 

 concise outhne of the life history, spore production, need for recog- 

 nizing the winter as well as summer forms, effect on host plant, 

 factors rendering certain plants more or less immune, and suggestions 

 for preventive measures. — E.A.B. 



Fungri of Chile, Parasitic. By P. Thaxter [Bot. Gaz. pp. 430-42, 

 Dec. 1910 ; 2 plates and 1 fig.). — A new species of Taphrina and two 

 new species of Uncinula which he obtained on leaves of the Antarctic 

 beech near Punta Arenas are described. — G. F. S. E. 



Fung-ous Diseases of Plants, Notes on. L. H. Pammell 

 [U.S.A. Hort. Soc. Iowa, xlv. p. 229). — In the course of this paper 

 Mr. Pammell says: The old subject of fire blight of pears, apples, 

 quinces, &c., receives treatment from Whetzel and Stewart. This 

 paper is well illustrated with figures showing the claw from a bee's 

 foot, with blight bacteria on and about it to show the relative size. 

 Then the authors give an account of the injury done to branches, 

 fruit, blooms, and trunks of trees, &c. The bulletin emphasizes the 

 importance of insects of various kinds in transmitting the disease. 

 The authors recommend the following treatment to destroy all sources 

 of infection — ^that is, clean out all cankers in the apples, pears, and 

 quinces, cutting well into the healthy tissue, and removing the 

 diseased bark; disinfect the cut with corrosive sublimate solution, 

 one to 1000 of water; make a regular inspection of every tree in the 

 orchard at least once a year during the growing season. Break out 

 all blossom spurs that show the disease, and remove them from the 

 orchard; remove all water sprouts from the trunks of trees; cut out 

 all blighted twigs." Infection may be caused by (a) blossom inocu- 

 lation; (5) twig inoculation. Insects are the principal means of infec- 

 tion for the first. Twig inoculation may be brought about in various 

 ways. 



*' Every horticulturist is more or less familiar with the aphis and 

 its injuries to trees. The aphis is a sucking insect. It obtains its 

 food by puncturing the tender bark of young shoots and. leaves with 

 its proboscis, through which it sucks the plant juice. It reproduces 

 very rapidly. Hitherto it has been thought that the extent of the 

 damage which it caused was confined to the direct injury done to the 

 plant by depriving it of sap, and the malformations caused by the 

 irritation set up in the area attacked. Our observations this season, 

 however, have proven conclusively that the great majority of the 

 new infections of twigs by the blight after the blossom season has: 



