LESS IMPOETANT SPECIES. 113 



ergot in the heads of diflferent grasses, and had come to the conclusion 

 that these ergot spurs were the seeds of the grass in question. The 

 general experience of stockmen in the State with bluejoint is that this 

 grass seldom forms seeds in the native meadows. It was thought, 

 therefore, by some that the conspicuous ergot spurs were simply the 

 rare examples of its seeds. It would be easy, however, for anyone to 

 convince himself fEat the ergot spurs are not grass seeds. If one of 

 them be crushed, it will be found to consist of a black mass which is 

 the sclerotium tissue of the fungus, of which the spurs may be called 

 the fruit. These spurs are usually about half an inch in length and 

 are so conspicuous as to be visible for several yards. It would seem, 

 therefore, a simple matter for the stockmen to avoid cutting badly 

 infested areas of grass for hay. Fortunately ergot is much rarer on 

 bluejoint than on wild rye grass, and since the latter is used onl}^ to a 

 limited extent for hay, it would not work any particular hardship to 

 the stockmen to avoid the use of wild rye grass whenever it is infected 

 with ergot. 



It seems possible that the disease of sheep known as "mountain 

 itch " may be due to eating grass affected with this fungus and not to 

 the mechanical effect of cactus spines, as is thought by some sheep 

 men. A more thorough study of ergot ma}^ show that it is one of the 

 principal sources of loss throughout the State. 



cow COCKLE. 



{Vaccaria vaccaria (L.) Britton.) 



Other names: Cow herb, soapwort, China cockle, spring cockle, 

 cockle. 



A smooth much-branched annual 1 to 3 feet high, with mucilaginous 

 juice, lance-shaped leaves, and pale red flowers in diffusely branched 

 clusters which blossom in May and June (PL XVII). This species is 

 rapidly becoming a noxious weed throughout the State, especially in 

 cultivated soil. The plant is of European origin and is gradually 

 becoming established in all parts of the United States, the seeds being 

 carried in grain and in other ways. 



The cow cockle grows in waste places, in cultivated soil, and on 

 sandy hillsides in Montana, specimens having been collected in Lewis 

 and Clarke, Cascade, Teton, Sweet Grass, Gallatin, Madison, Yellow- 

 stone, Flathead, and Custer counties. This and not the corn cockle 

 {Agrostemma githago) is the plant referred to by the millers of Mon- 

 tana when they speak of cockle. From the occurrence of the seed in 

 spring wheat, however, it is called spring cockle. This distinguishes 

 it from the ordinar}^ corn cockle which occurs sparingly in Montana 

 in fall wheat. Under the name of cockle, seeds of this plant were, at 

 our request, furnished for identification by Mr. E. B. Lamme, of the 

 S. Doc. 160 8 



