PROCEEDIXGS AT GENERAL MEETINGS. 45 



state. Much difference of opinion exists as to the kind of season most conducive to the 

 growth of ergot. Some say a dry season is most productive, others that -a wet one suits 

 it best. It appears that moist warm weather, when the claviceps is growing, and dry 

 when it is disseminating its spores, will be most apt to produce a large crop. It does 

 not appear to be particular as to altitude, soil, or exposure. On the Borders I have 

 seen it on the sea coast, extending all through the low cultivated parts of the district 

 up to about 1500 feet on Howpasley. Grasses on wet and dry, rich and poor, soils are 

 alike subject to it. Glyceria fluLtans (growing in water) and NardiLS striata (whether 

 it is growing on the drier parts of the hills and moors or in wet ground) are both very 

 often attacked, especially the latter, which is abundant in Upper Teviotdale. Lolium 

 perenne in rich cultivated alluvial soils, or on dry bare roadsides, is equally affected. 

 In shady woods or on open moors ergot thrives equally well. It will thus be seen that 

 wherever grasses that are subject to this parasite are allowed to flower and perfect their 

 seeds at the time that the spores of Claviceps purpurea are floating about, there it will 

 grow. Some seasons one part of a farm may be bad with it while another is clear, 

 according to the time and also to the weather when the grasses are in flower on that 

 particular part. As a rule, the later flowering specimens are most subject. Crops of 

 ryegrass that are grown for hay do not suffer, as they are too early in flower ; but late- 

 flowering heads of the same are very liable to be ergotised 



As requested by you, I went to Dykeraw on September •20th, where I met Mr. 

 Elliot. Owing to the earliness of the season, most of the ergot and also the seeds 

 of the grasses had ah'eady fallen ; but on the part where the disease was worst there 

 was abundance of Nardv^ stricto., one the most liable to bs ergotised ; while on the 

 healthier and improved parts of the farm there were very few grasses that are subject 

 to ergot to any great extent. 



I went to Skelfhill and Broadhaugh on September 17th and 18th, and found (as I 

 had noticed last year) numerous miuute fungi both on the young and vntherefl leaves, 

 and brought a quantity of each with me. As the annual conference of the Cryptogamic 

 Society of Scotland was being held at Glasgow at that time, I went there, taking samples 

 of each to try and identify them as far as possible. Dr. Buchanan Wliite, F.L.S. , editor 

 of the Scottish Naturalist^ kindly undertook to examine them, and took them home with 

 him for that purpose. He found the greater number of them immature, and therefore 

 unnameable, and said they might possibly be in a better state in early spring. Both 

 Scirpv^ ccespjitnsus (deer's-hair), and Eriophoruni cajjinatuni (hare's-tail cotton grass), 

 two of the earliest "grasses," were very much infested with the immature state of some 

 fungus. Clculosporium herha/rum was abundant on the decaying leaves of most of the 

 grasses, especially Narclus stricta. The uredo state of Puccinia graminis (Trichobasis 

 rtibigo vera or red rust) was also common. See North British Agriculturist, Septem- 

 ber 2, 1880, page 609, for a note regarding the last (Trichobasis), in which it is stated 

 that Dr. J. E. Taylor, of the Ipswich Museum, writing with reference to an epidemic 

 among lambs, has no doubt that lambs have sufl'ered from blood-poisoning by eating 

 too much of this unnutritious grass (i.e. , infested with Trichobasis). The stomach filled 

 with millions of the fungus spores, which are probably strongly alkaline, would, he 

 thinks, produce the blood-poisoning. Referring to the above, Dr. White says — " It 

 seems to me, however, that the spores of some allied species are really more or less 

 poisonous." 



The most difficult thing with these minute fungi wOl be the difficulty of testing 

 their effect ; but if it can be proven that they are in any degree poisonous, doubtless 

 they will assist in developing any spring disease in sheej;, as they are very plentiful. 

 I was sorry that I could not collect ergot in quantity, as at the time that I was there it 

 was mostly fallen ; but the ergot of rye is the same species, and so will have the same 

 effect. It is a pity that last year's experiments with it were a failure — indeed, they 

 were of no use whatever in testing the efl'ects of ergot on sheep, as the ergot useil 



appears to have lost its strength 



Andbew Brotiierston. 



Oct. 19th, 1880. 



Bkaxy, — Information received by tlie committee shows that it prevails in the follow- 

 ing localities : — 



Shetland — Unst, . . . Uncommon. 



Fetlar, . . . Common. 



raithTif>!<!. .... Slight. 



Sutherlanil, .... Slight. 



Skye and other Islands, . . Prevalent. 



Inverness — Inverness District, . Slight. 



Fort-William, . . Prevalent. 



Nairn, .... Prevalent. 



