458 On Ergot. 



like the seeds of plants, until the following spring or summer, 

 when they produce crops of the perfect fungus (^Claviceps pur- 

 purea, Tul.). The spores of the Claviceps are ripe about the time 

 that the cereals come into flower, and by the action of wind or 

 rain they obtain access to the flowers. 



In 1856 Durieu communicated ergot to rye by placing the 

 spores of the Claviceps on its flowers. Roze has since confirmed 

 and extended these observations (' Bulletin Soc. Bot. de France,' 

 1870). 



It is, then, by these minute needle-like spores that the disease 

 is communicated at first to all crops ; and the principal effort of 

 the farmer who desires to free himself from this pest should be 

 to secure clean seed, perfectly free from ergot. The ergot is too 

 frequently overlooked in the barn from its resemblance to the 

 •dung of mice ; but it is worth special pains in examining the 

 seed to secure immunity from this parasite. Tulasne states as 

 the result of his experiments that if the ergot does not produce 

 the Claviceps during the first year after it has fallen to the ground, 

 it loses its vital powers. One might hope to find in this observa- 

 tion of Tulasne the means of coping with the disease ; and cer- 

 tainly it is most desirable not to follow an ergotted crop with 

 another crop of cereals. But it must be remembered that the 

 same species of fungus produces an ergot in most of our grasses, 

 and that the spores belonging to the Claviceps of these grass 

 ergots will as readily communicate the disease to cereals as those 

 produced by the cereals themselves. We may, therefore, have in 

 ergotted grasses growing in the margin of fields or along hedge- 

 banks the means of maintaining and spreading the disease in 

 cereal crops. No trouble should be spared to collect and destroy 

 the ergots on such grasses. To permit them to fall to the ground is 

 a certain method of securing the appearance of the disease on any 

 cereal or grass crops in the neighbourhood in the following year. 



But the disease having once appeared in a field of growing 

 grain, or amongst hay or grass, easily spreads itself in its early 

 sphacelia state. Every one of the " spores " (spermatia) has the 

 power, as we have seen, of germinating, and so spreading the 

 disease. The striking of an ergotted head against a healthy 

 plant will communicate the disease. This has been experi- 

 jnentally tested by Bonorden, and confirmed by Roze. It is not 

 possible, however, to interpose at this stage of the malady with 

 the view of arresting it. The diseased grains are difficult to 

 ■discover in the field, and it would be hopeless to attempt to pick 

 them out. The disease can only be effectually dealt with while 

 the plant is in its dormant state as an ergot, as already pointed 

 out. 



