THE SOUTHERN CYPRESS. | 87 
coast which, like cypress, represents the flora of a previous geologic 
epoch. He did not, however, determine the cause of the disease. 
The junipers also are affected in asomewhat similar manner. Among 
other things, Von Schrenk pointed out that pecky cypress is most 
prevalent in the southern range, and decreases in amount toward the 
north in the colder climate. Investigations by the Bureau of Plant 
Industry, United States Department of Agriculture, in 1913, led to the 
discovery by Long? of the ‘‘punks”’ or fruiting bodies of this fungus on 
cypress and its identification as Homes geotropus Cooke, a tropical and 
subtropical species infesting many of our southern hardwoods, and 
closely related to Homes ulmarws Fries. of Europe. In the base, 
the presence of water in abundance causes vigorous activity, and the 
entire heartwood is frequently destroyed, leaving hollow butts. 
The fungus is most prevalent, however, in the upper portions of trees, 
where it gains entrance, presumably, through wounds in the bark. 
On account of lack of sufficient moisture, its growth here is very 
slow. In the case of broken-off tops, cavities are formed in which 
rain water collects, thus affording conditions of moisture and free air 
circulation favorable to the leaching and disintegration of the resin 
in the wood and the resultant advance of the fungus. Loggers some- 
. times discover large, apparently sound cypress trunks consisting of 
only a shell of sapwood above the base. The pecky fungus is perhaps 
indirectly the most active cause of the death of cypress, since it eats 
out the supporting heartwood, allowing the wind to tear down piece 
by piece the remaining portions of the tree. As indicated on page 16, 
pecky cypress is one of the standard grades of lumber. Because it is 
strong in proportion to its weight and because, so far as is known, 
its lasting qualities are not affected, it is valuable, and is used exten- 
sively for many purposes. 
The immunity of cypress wood to bluing gives it a marked economic 
advantage both in logging and milling. At present great numbers of 
logs that have lain for 15 to 25 years in the swamp are being utilized. 
The lumber from such logs averages somewhat darker in color, but in 
general can not be distinguished from stock freshly felled. 
INSECT DAMAGE. 
_ Extensive investigations conducted by the Bureau of Entomology, 
United States Department of Agriculture, show that the principal 
insect damage to bald cypress is that caused by several species of 
pinhole borers or ambrosia beetles in the wood of girdled trees, logs . 
cut from living trees, and freshly sawed lumber. 
Yor full information regarding this kind of injury and the methods 
recommended for preventing losses, the reader is referred to Circular 
1 Long, W. H. A preliminary note on the cause of ‘‘pecky”’ cypress. Phytopathology 4, No. 1: 39, 
F., 1914. 
