Abstract
1. In this paper the results of experiment on the relative durability of woods of thirteen broad-leaved trees to five species of wood-destroying fungi under the controlled laboratory conditions are reported.
2. In the experiment, the fungi to be tested had been previously grown on an agar medium in the Erlenmyer's flasks, before the test blocks of these woods were inserted and then kept at a constant temperature of 28°C for ninety days long.
3. The fungi tested are as follows: Polystictus sanguineus, P. hirsutus, Polyporus rhodophaeus, Schizophyllum commune and Lenzites betulina. The mycelial growth of Polyporus rhodophaeus, Polystictus sanguineus and P. hirsutus on wood blocks was vigorous and Lenzites betulina showed poor growth on them.
4. The wood pieces tested are as follows: Alnus japonica, Castanea crenata, Jugulans Sieboldiana, Zelkowa serrata, Cercidiphyllum japonicum, Quercus myrsinaefolia, Platanus orientalis, Aesculus turbinata, Magnolia obovata, Fagus crenata, Celtis sinensis, Prunus yedoensis and Betula japouica.
Among these woods, the heart-woods of Castanea crenata and Zelkowa serrata showed the highest resistance to decay and the sap-woods of Alnus japonica and Prunus yedoensis were destroyed most seriously. The sap-woods of broad-leaved trees proved to be far less resistant to decay than the heart-woods.
5. Polystictus sanguineus and P. hirsutus showed the strongest virulence and Schizophyllum commune had the weakest virulence.
