452 Mr. Smith's Observations on the Cause o/" Ergot. 



I had not the opportunity of examining the rye in a young state, but have 

 found the oblong bodies on old rye ergots. 



fÇote. — It is right for me to state, that when these observations were written 

 I was not aware that much of what I have mentioned had already been noticed 

 by earlier writers ; for I find that so long ago as 1783, Tessier speaks of having 

 seen the fluid hanging in drops from ergot-bearing spikes, and several suc- 

 ceeding observers notice the oblong bodies contained in the fluid, and which 

 were by them considered as the sporules or seeds of the ergot. But the 

 nearest approach to the correct view of the subject is given in the Trans- 

 actions of the Linnean Society of Paris for 1826, by Leveillè, whose account 

 differs but little from my observations. Leveillè is the first who distinctly 

 states the oblong bodies (which are found accompanying the ergot) to be the 

 seeds of a very minute fungus, to which he gives the very appropriate name 

 Sp/iacella segetum ; and which fungus he regards as the cause of Ergot. 



The question now is, in what way the ovarium becomes infected with this 

 fungus so as to cause it to become an ergot ? And although my observations 

 (since my original paper was written) do not yet enable me to speak with cer- 

 tainty on this point, — yet, on viewing all circumstances, I am still induced to 

 consider Ergot to be a constitutional disease of the plant, brought about by 

 the reproductive matter of the fungus being absorbed during germination, and 

 carried up by the fluids of the plant, and becoming developed in the fructifica- 

 tion even before the opening of the floral envelopes, — but whether the ovarium 

 is at this time infected with the disease, or whether it is communicated to it 

 during impregnation from the already diseased anther, is a question still to be 

 solved. 



