The branches appear tirst to be covered with small raised spots 
of cork scattered more or less thickly about, which eventually split 
and become small blacfe sores. When these have become numerous, 
it can-.be seen that the whole of the cambium-layer and a ll ..but-the 
outer Bark layer is' dark brown or nearly black and roffen and the 
characteristic_.pink "writing” fungus appears. The damage is 
however done before this appearance of the pink fungus. It is quite 
possible- that, as Mr. Bean suggests above, the fungus is a wound 
parasite as other species of Corticium are. "" ~“~ 
It seems also clear that it is more prevalent in wet weather than 
in dry! and in damp wet spots, that is to say, where the air is over- 
damp, and there is not a sufficient free current of air. It often 
appears in rainy weather in thick clumps of ramie or Strobilanthes 
bushes or other twiggy plants when too dense. 
The exudation of latex from the damaged portion is not unusual 
in the case of death of the bark from fungus, but it is not easy to see 
why it should exude. In the' specimens it appeared at first often in 
small-pear shaped globules, which being black from exudation looked 
very much like a small fungus. 
The irregular exudation of latex from bark of a rubber tree is 
always a sign of some injury beneath the bark and usually the 
occurrence of a fungus.— Ed- _ - . , 
~ j :: /. r:'— s. 
STRANGE GROWTH OF A PARA RUBBER 
TREE CUTTING. 
Mr. Bean sends the following curious note on the behaviour of a 
Para tree:— “Eighteen months ago on our estate (Puak, Borneo) a 3% 
year old tree was blown down and the trunk having been cut in two 
pieces by the Javanese was used as corner posts for a rough fence. 
One of these posts had been rammed in the ground upside down and 
after a month began to grow. 
In three months there were two shoots eighteen inches long 
which flowered heavily. No fruit resulted., but that was hardly 
surprising; however, the cutting is still growing but very slowly.” 
It is not of course an uncommon occurrence for a piece of living 
wood of almost any tree especially soft wood trees to put out 
branches or shoots for some time after the cutting is made, using 
up in so doing all the food which happens to be stored at the time in 
the bit. After which unless by that time the stick has been able to 
emit roots and feed itself normally, shoots and stick dies. It is, how- 
ever, unusual for it to grow wrong way up, or to produce flowers. 
I have seen, however, a low fence of .crossed sticks made of 
cuttings of branches of Ceara rubber, . Mamhot glazimi flowering 
and fruiting .quite heavily. — Ed. . . .. . , , .. . v . ... 
