DISEASES OF CEREALS AND GRASSES 



D/ 



by this mycelium — sometimes called the honey 

 dew stage ; this entices bees, which carry away, on 

 their legs, the conidia to healthy grass tlowers, 

 where they readily germinate, enter the ovary, 

 form honey dew and conidia, and, like the first 

 mycelium, when the food supply becomes ex- 

 hausted, i.e. towards autumn, form the sclerotia by 

 interlacing and repeated branching. The shrivelled 

 ovary may often be found at the end of the 

 sclerotium. 



Preventive Measures. — 



1. Collect as many sclerotia as possible and sell 

 to the chemist. 



2. Do not allow grass in pastures and waste 

 places to seed. 



3. Cut, collect, and burn grass parcels which are 

 ergotted. 



4. Drain land well and improve the herbage so 

 that it will be well eaten down. 



5. Sow seeds free from ergot. 



V. Smother Fungus of Grasses [Jipic/i/oe 

 typhina). Class: Ascomycetej: ; Order: Pyrkno- 



MYCETALES. 



This is frequently found in abundance on many 

 grasses, especially meadow foxtail [A/opciiinis 

 pratensis) and cocksfoot {Dactylis glovicrata), and 

 although not a serious pest, it is said to be injurious 

 to horses if eaten in abundance. 



Symptoms. — The upper leaf sheath becomes sur- 



