Wellington Philosophical Society. 489 



Mr. Travers thought it important that some remedy should be sought for 

 at the earliest possible moment. 



Dr. Berggren explained that the most speedy manner of eradicating the 

 Ergot seemed to be to prevent the grass from seeding by cutting it before the 

 seed ripened and then burning it. 



The Hon. Mr. Fox inquired whether it was possible that the pasture 

 would be affected by having had Ergot on it at seeding time, to such an 

 extent as to poison stock feeding upon it afterwards. This he considered as 

 the most important point for the practical farmer to consider, as the stock 

 could be kept off the grass while it was actually in ear. 



Mr. C. O'Neill asked what effect frost, snow, and severe weather would 

 have upon the Ergot. 



Dr. Berggren replied that the seed of grain affected with fungus was 

 usually steeped in sulphate of copper, but that process was efficacious only 

 when the seed itself carried the germ ; it would be of no use when the fungus 

 spores first attacked the plant when flowering. He did not think pasture 

 became affected so as to be poisonous after the flowering season was past. In 

 reference to Mr. O'Neill's question, Dr. Berggren said that of course climate 

 might affect the Ergot, but he was not aware whether in this country there 

 were places where the rye grass flowered while frost and snow were on the 

 ground. 



Mr. C. C. Graham said that four years ago he remarked the presence of 

 Ergot, or something like it, in the toitoi grass at Rangitikei during a cold, wet 

 season like the present. The Ergot was evidently widely spread this year, as 

 he had received specimens of it from a correspondent at Timaru, which were 

 amongst those examined by Dr. Berggren. 



The Hon. Mr. Fox felt satisfied that wet was not the cause of Ergot, as 

 the specimens he sent to Dr. Hector were cut during one of the driest seasons 

 known in his district. 



The Hon. Mr. Bandall Johnson expressed himself as greatly interested in 

 the matter, as some of the symptoms described were of frequent occurrence 

 amongst the stock at Poverty Bay, and he had never been able to obtain any 

 satisfactory explanation as to the cause. What he had heard that evening 

 was very suggestive. The disease, whatever might be its nature, was curable 

 only by change of pasture. It affected horses in his district, though it was 

 rarely fatal in such cases. In one fatal case an examination showed the spinal 

 cord of the horse to be in a diseased state. 



Dr. Hector expressed a hope that the subject would receive the attention 

 of farmers and others who were directly interested, as they had the best 

 opportunities for observation. It seemed clear that the subject was not well 

 understood at present. T . 



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