360 On the Origin of Ergot, 



The field of rye in which I made my observations, was 

 within fifty yards of my house, which afforded me an oppor- 

 tunity of examining it daily for many weeks. It was of that 

 species, which, in this part of the country, is usually denom- 

 inated the Norway or White Rye. and which has ever been 

 observed to be far more productive of ergot, than the Eng- 

 lish spring rye, or that which is said to be a native of the 

 island ofCandia. But it is not recollected, thnt during any 

 former season, the eigot has beea found so abundant, in 

 this vicinity, as during the last. 



The Norway rye is in blossom about as early in the sea- 

 son, as the English spring rye ; but is two weeks later at har- 

 vest. From this circumstance, one reason may be assigned, 

 why the former is so much more productive of ergot, than the 

 latter. The longer the grain continues in the pulpy or milky 

 state, the more favourable is the opportunity presented for 

 the operation of the cause which produces the ergot. That 

 such is the fact, experience clearly demonstrates. 



The field of rye which I very frequently examined, was in 

 full blossom, about the 30th of June ; but I discovered no 

 appearances of ergot till the 22d of July. From that lime, 

 until the 12th of August, when the rye was harvested, t 

 might be found of various dimensions. Upon minute ex- 

 amination, I discovered that every grain of ergot, as it emer- 

 ged from the glume, had attached to its apex the shrivelled 

 rind of a gr?in of rye, which had the appearance of once be- 

 ing in a healthy state. This led me to conjecture that a 

 diseased state of the rye, was the primary cause of the ergot. 

 To ascertain the fact, I repaired to the rye-field, where I 

 discovered groups of flies collected, upon the heads of rye, 

 apparently in the pursuit of something within the glume. On 

 opening the valve of the glume, where the flies were thus 

 collected, I found the saccharine juice, of the grains of rye, 

 was oozing out, and would soon produce small drops. I was 

 then convinced that it was this saccharine fluid, which was so 

 inviting to the multitude of flies that collected upon those 

 heads of rye, which contained any diseased grains. Having 

 collected a number of grains, of full-grown size, and exhib- 

 iting appearances similar to those above described, I placed 

 the same under a microscope, by which I could clearly dis- 

 cover a small orifice in each, near the end opposite to that to 

 which the thread of nutrition had been attached. 1 could 



