Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-06-18
a SYCAMORE BLIear.


DR.. W. II. Harkness, in an article in
the Bulletin, gives the following informa.
tion concerning pest which is now raw.
aging the sycamore tree:
One of the most interesting of the par.
asitic fungi, and one whose effects have at
tracted almost universal attention, is that
which annually attacks the sycamore trees
Of this as well as of the Eastern States.
At the usual time the tree puts forth
leaves which, to all appearance, are per-
fectly healthy, nothing unusual occurring
until the leaf has attained nearly one-third
it's growth, when it is struck with a blight
which destroys it with the suddenness OF
a conflgration. The leaves, becoming
shriveled and brown, soon fall, the trees in
many cases becoming as leafless and bare
as in the winter season. After a time,
however, new leaves appear, which are
comparatively free from disease. This
curious process has been repeated an
nually for the last fifteen years or
more in this State, while in the
Eastern States it has existed, as
Professor Asa Gray affirms, for more than
thirty years, and has been variously at
tri5uted to the frost, the ravages of insects,
deficient vitality, ETC., but the real cause
remained mystery until about two years
ago, when. on examining the syeamores at
Niles station, l succeeded in tracing the
disease TO a minute fungus, variety of
GiROspOriltm RerUiseqaaBl, which attacks
the twigs, petioles and nerves of the
leaves, producing somewhat different ef-
fects, according to the part affected. When
the twig is attacked and the mycellum ram
lies in the whole circumference of the cor
tex the cluster Of leaves dies so quickly
that the fungus, which can only grow In
living plant remains undeveloped. When
the petiole is infested the individual leaf
dies and falls, but when the leaf it.
self ia invaded the fungus follows the
course Of the nerves, appearing to the
naked eye like row Of minute specks
The leaf is killed for variable distance on
each side of the nerves, but the interven-
ing portions live for a considerable time.
Under the microscope these minute spots
are seen to be composed of an immense
quantity of pale, irregular, club.shaped
spores, which are borne on slender pedicels
and somewhat agglutinated together.
These spores are the productive bodies
are of course invisible to the naked eye
and are borne by the winds in all diree-
tions. The class of fungi to which this be-
longE-a very large one-is found only in
living plants. In April of last year found
a nearly related one upon the scrub live
oak of the Golden Gate Park. This, which
Ihave called GleoSporitns quercuunl, makes
an infested oak thicket look exactly as if
scorched by a neighboring fire. 1t is now
becoming a serious question as to how long
the sycamore can survive this sifliotion.
Great numbsrs of the trees at the present
writing seem to be absolutely dead, not
possessing a single leaf. The tree which
was formerly graceful and symmetrical has
by this continual destruction of the ter
minal twigs become scraggy and unsightly,
and, unless nature provides remedy for
the disease, seems to be in danger of grad
nal extinction.