180 BOARD OF AGRICULTUEE. [Jan., 



grass in our pastures in certain seasons of the year. Does 

 not the trouble come from that, instead of corn fodder? I 

 rose to ask Mr. Halsted if we can detect this ergot upon the 

 grass in our pastures? My suspicion is that that is where our 

 trouljle comes from, and I would like to have him state if 

 there is any possible way for us to detect it with the naked 

 eye on the grass in our pastures ? 



Mr. Halsted. Yes, sir, it is very easy to see whether 

 grass is affected with ergot or not. If you look at it after it 

 has headed, you will find a long, horny, hard grain, more or 

 less grooved, and you may make up your mind that that is 

 ergot. In regard to the corn fodder, it is very easily 

 detected, 



Mr. . Much of the grass in our pastures is very 



low and has very small heads; it is very difficult to see the 

 seeds. How can we detect it in those small heads of grass? 



Mr. Halsted. Usually you can see an affected grain quick- 

 er than you can an ordinary grain, because the ergoted grain 

 is much larger. In the case of rye, it is four or five times 

 larger in dimensions than an ordinary grain of rye. Now, I 

 wish to say that I am not very much acquainted with animal 

 physiology, but it may be that this abortion is caused by 

 something outside of fungus. I do not say that it is the sole 

 and only cause of abortion in cattle : I think it is not. 



Prof. Breweb. I was going to suggest that we stick to the 

 fungus question. As regards the question whether smut is 

 the cause of abortion in cows, if we get to discussing it here, 

 we can discuss it until to-morrow night. That subject has 

 been discussed for fifteen years. There have been commis- 

 sions appointed to investigate it, and they have tried experi- 

 ments, proposed remedies, and so on. I think it is the 

 general belief that corn smut injures cattle. Now, what as 

 to its prevention? I have made a good many inquiries in re- 

 gard to that matter myself, and there is but very little infor- 

 mation from positive observations to be had. In a great 

 many places they soak the corn before planting in a solntion 

 of blue vitriol, or blue stone, the same as they do wheat, but 



