- 4 ^ 

 Laerssen (164j found ergot in the high mountains as well as in the pJIsins, 

 Stager seGured ergot on several plants from the peak of Merbahu (3119 m.), 

 Java, 



ECOWOIIIP DilPORTANCE 



Ergot is an important disease on rye and soire of the grasses, hut 

 relatively uninoportant on v/heat, bayley and oats. It is iniportant from two 

 different standi^oints: first, because it decreases the yield and quality of thi. 

 grain aiad hay; second, because infected grains and hsy ^-re injurious to stock 

 T/hen fed. 



In general the decrease in yield and quality of grain due to the 

 various species of Claviceps, especially C,. "ijurxiurea . varies with season and 

 locality. Grains, especi.?-lly lye, in some seasons and in some fields are in- 

 fected so heavily that nearly every head imy have one or more sclerotia, as 

 was reported from './isconsin in 1917 (196). Cases v/here from 20 to SO per cent 

 of the heads were infected with eigot have been reported from various parts of 

 the United States and from Europe. During the wet season of 1894 it occurred 

 to a greater extent in Germany, the loss on rye being estimated at 1.6 per cent 

 of the average yield, in contrast v/ith the avei-age annual loss of 0.3 per cent. 

 The airount of ergot for 1917 in Connecticut ranged from one to five per cent. 

 Decrease of the yield by as high as 20 per cent has been reported from Russia 

 (120). 



The injury to grasses appears to be greater thsxi to grains. Heal^ 

 and Peters (93) report that hs.y ■>'hich consists largely of Agropvron ocoidentale 

 and rye grass of different species, may contain as high as five or si:: per cent 

 of ergot by veight. Single heads of these grasses ms-y produce from one to 

 forty ergot kernels, Rostrup (224) found sclerotia of C. microesphala on 

 Pbraamites cprmunis so abundant that all examined infloresences had imny hun- 

 dreds of them. On one single panicle Rostrup (223) counted 912 sclerotia. 



