Beech and Timber Tree Fungi.

Progress, Volume XVII, Issue 3, 1 November 1921, Page 67

Beech and Timber Tree Fungi.

Plants are subject to “disease,” due to the attacks of lower organisms, but many people would hesitate to regard a fungus growing on a tree trunk as a very deadly thing. Various fungi, however, do serious injury to forest trees. In his lecture at Wellington, Dr. L. Cockayne referred specially to the “ shelf ” fungusthat curious growth which stands out from a tree like a fairly level and sometimes ornamental bracket. The “ shelf is a very solid structure, but it is really only the portion of the fungus which bears flowers. The main part of the plant (mycelium) is within the wood of the tree, and, according to the lecturer, this fungus is important among the killers of the beech. He argued that the timber containing mycelium was probably much altered and injured for use, and f ‘ I "*is fact probably accounted for failures that had been experienced when the —properly a durable timber— been used for railway sleepers. The relation of fungi to timber trees was one that should be the subject of special inquiry. As an indication of the durability of beech, the lecturer showed a photograph of a house. It was, he said, forty years old. It had been painted, he believed, twice; it had been looked after as badly as any house ever was looked after. Yet it was still perfectly sound and it was built entirely of red beech. — Wyndham Herald.

It will be news to most New Zealanders that kauri timber prows on Frazer Island, off the coast of Queensland. Mr. Bartholomew said at Feilding recently that kauri pine was being taken from that island 50 years ago-. Your cost statistics should keep you constantly in touch with each phase and with all phases of your business. By using them you should be able to learn instantly the profit or loss of any department, and if a —where the fault lies.