DIVISION OF BOTANY 489 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



ditions appear to lose this power. This fact, no doubt, explains why, under natural 

 conditions, ergot occurs to a much greater extent in low-lying, damp situations and 

 in wet seasons. When the matter has been more fully investigated it may be found 

 to have valuable practical results, since it may be possible to so treat seeds containing 

 ' ergots ' that the germinating power of these may be destroyed without injuring that 

 of the seeds. In one of our experiments to test and study the germination of ergot 

 that appeared in a barley plot on the Farm, the sclerotia were kept in a paper bag in 

 the warm laboratory from harvest time (September) to May following. They were 

 then placed in moist sand and not until October next could we observe signs of germ- 

 ination. The germination after this period of rest appears interesting in comparison 

 with the above mentioned results of other investigators, who claim these grains do 

 not germinate after completely drying-out. We also take this opportunity to place 

 on record that we found the ascospores of this species to show three distinct septa, 

 very prominent after careful staining. We do not know of any other record concern- 

 ing this observation, which, however, is of scientific interest only. Ergot grains were 

 submitted several times during the year and we collected some ourselves on 1 y< -, 

 barley and wheat in the West. 



As previously stated, the economic importance of ergot depends on the action 

 upon the animal organism of certain cbemical principles contained in the sclerotia. 

 In large doses these produce contraction of the smaller blood vessels and also strong 

 muscular contraction, which in the case of pregnant animals is liable to result in 

 abortion. Taken for a period of time in smaller quantities the effects are very serious, 

 among them being debility, muscular spasms and tremblings, gangrene, and the 

 sloughing-off of portions of the extremities. Such results in the case of human 

 beings are occasionally recorded over wide areas, where, as in parts of Continental 

 Europe, rye-bread is an important article of food. On the other hand, various pre- 

 parations of ergot find employment in medicine, its medicinal value for certain 

 purposes being universally recognized. 



Control Measures. — Seed containing ergots should not be sown, indeed the sale 

 of such seed is an infringement of the Canadian Seed Control Act. Since only 

 plants which are allowed to flower can become infected, it is important that the grass 

 by road sides, etc., should be cut at intervals. If already infested with sclerotia it 

 should be raked together when dry and burned. Since couch or twitch grass is very 

 commonly affected, we have, in this fact, additional grounds for taking measures 

 for the eradication of this weed. The roadsides all around Summerland, B.C., are 

 overgrown with a tall sand grass (Elytnus condensatus, Presl.) which we have 

 observed to be considerably infected with ergot each year. 



Where pastures have been found liable to extensive infection it would be well to 

 cut the standing flowering-stems at intervals to prevent the development of sclerotia. 

 Where these are already present, 'burning-over' when possible, • will destroy many or 

 most of them. It is advisable to remove stock from badly infested land, and hay or 

 grain containing any considerable quantity of it should be destroyed rather than 

 used for feeding purposes. The statement that ergot completely dried out has lost 

 all vitality would be important, if true, as regards preventing its recurrence. Seed- 

 wheat or other grain hardly suffers in vitality after two or three years' storage; in 

 that time, no doubt, all ergot grains have lost their vitality. 



BITTEE PIT INVESTIGATION. 



In previous reports attention has been called to the nature of this disease and its 

 presence in Canada. In our report for last year, two papers by Dr. Jean White and Prof. 

 A. J. Ewart, respectively, dealing with researches into this subject were noted, and it 

 was also stated 'that the Commonwealth Government of Australia had taken up the mat- 

 ter and appointed Mr. D. Mc Alpine, the well-known pathologist, to devote himself 



