8 BULLETIN 496, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
At the bottom of brush piles a fungus which has been identified as 
Polyporus amorphus was rather common. It apparently does not 
attack branches and limbs which are not in contact with the soil. 
Merulius ambiguus was occasionally found on small branches, 
while Fomes annosus, Poria subacida, and P. vaporaria were found 
on large prostrate limbs, trunks, and stumps. Polyporus palustris, 
Fames annosus, and Corticium galactinum seem to be the principal 
fungi rotting the pine stumps. 
BRUSH WHEN PULLED. 
All of the needles in the tops of felled shortleaf-pine trees will 
fall in from one to three years, depending somewhat on the locality 
in which the timber is located. The branches will gradually rot, 
and many of them will have fallen from the trunk at the end of 
three to four years. By the end of five years practically all of the 
branches, large and small, in the tops will have rotted and fallen 
to the ground. Also, most of the sap wood in the boles and cull logs 
will have rotted in this time. 
Pitchy limbs and trunks containing much resin rot very slowly 
and may be found long after the less resinous wood has dis- 
appeared. 
Polystictus abietinus and Lenzites sepiaria seem to rot branches 
which are 8 to 10 feet from the ground just as rapidly as those near 
the ground. Lenzites sepiaria also attacks decorticated logs and the 
exposed portions of railroad ties after they are laid in the track. 
BRUSH WHEN PILED. 
Shortleaf-pine brush piles were examined, ranging from 1 to 5 
years in age. It was found that during the first year after the tree 
was cut but little rotting occurred, even in the small branches. By 
the end of the second or third year practically all of the needles had 
fallen from the limbs which were exposed to the sun's rays, while the 
needles in the middle of the piles, which were protected by the 
overlying brush, were in good condition and still attached to the 
limbs. In five years, brush at the top of the piles had practically 
rotted as far as the fungi which were attacking them could rot it, 
while the brush in the middle of the piles showed few signs, if any, 
of rotting. In the bottom of the piles the brush was well rotted, but 
by fungi different from those rotting the brush at the top of the piles. 
In other words, a brush pile of shortleaf pine will be rotted at the 
top by Lenzites sepiaria and Polystictus abietinus, the center of the 
pile will be rotted but little, while the brush at the bottom of the pile 
in contact with the soil will be rotted by certain ground fungi, one 
of which has been identified as Polyporus amorphus. This means 
that before the center of the brush piles will rot, both the top and 
