88 EEPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTUEE. 



and in Massachusetts, during the summer, on quack* grass {Triticum 

 repem). Though most abundant on the leaves of young plants, it is not 

 confined to them, but has been found as well on flowering specimens of 

 timothy and quack. 



Wlien as abundant as it was about ]\Iadison and other parts of AVis- 

 consin, in 18S3 and 1884, the timothy smut is the source of considei- 

 able direct loss, by lessening the yield of one of the most valuabk' 

 meadow grasses. Its relationships are also such that it is open to the 

 suspicion of being injurious to animals which are fed on plants attacked 

 by it. 



During the winter of lS83-'84 considerable excitement was created 

 by the appearance of what was supposed to be " foot-and-mouth dis- 

 ease " in Kansas cattle. The disease was investigated by the veterin- 

 arian of the Department of Agriculture, who traced it with certainty 

 to ergotism. t In the report on this examination it is stated that "sim- 

 ilar cases which occurred about the same time in other localities were 

 cases of ergotism. Professor Law, of Cornell University, Professor 

 Stalher, of the Iowa Agricultural College, and Professor Paville, of the 

 Colorado Agricultural Conege, have seen similar cases in their respect- 

 ive States, and concur in the opinion tiiat they are due to poisoning 

 from ergot."! During the present year Dr. Atkinson, State veterin- 

 arian of Wisconsin, found cattle in that State suffering from a similar 

 disease of the extremities, which he is inclined to attribute to ergotism, 

 as he has iiiformed me, and cases of the same sort are recorded from 

 other localities. Many instances of abortion are also unquestionably 

 attributable to the presence of ergot in hay or pasturage. 



Por a number of years the smut of Indian corn ( UstiJago zecv mays) 

 has been growing in favor (ts a substitute for ergot in medical practice, 

 since it possesses active properties similar to those of the latter sub- 

 stance. So far as I know the smut of timotliy has never been examined 

 chemically, nor have experiments lieen instituted to determine its ac- 

 tion on the animal system ; but until it has been shown to be harmless 

 it will be safe to regard it with suspicion, and to avoid pasturing grass 

 or feeding hay that is known to contain much of it. 



In conclusion, it nniy be well to extend the same caution to another 

 smut {Ustilago panici (jlauci^ Wall.), which is very abundant in autujnn 

 in the ovaries of the rusty pigeon grass {Setaria glaiica), which, though 

 gejierally regarded as a weed, is said § to furnish " a considerable amount 

 of fodiler which is as nutritious as Hungarian grass, but not as pro- 

 ductive." 



GEO. VASEY, 



Botanist. 



Hon. IfORMAN J. COLMAN, 



Commissioner. 



* Specimens were distributed on this host ia Ellis' N. Amer. Fungi, No. 1493. 



t Report of the Department of Agriculture, 1884, p. 222. 



1 1, c, p. 2'2'i. 



^ Vasey: Agricultural Grasses of the United States, p. 43. 



