454 



to Bauhin the name (Secale luxurians) he gave to ergot, more than 

 250 years ago in one of the first published notices of the disease. 



In barley and wheat ergot is not so frequently met with as in 

 rye ; nevertheless, when carefully sought for, it will often be found. 

 It has been observed in all the cultivated varieties of wheat. Fig. 

 195 (p. 453) represents a remarkable case of diseased spring wheat, 

 observed by Bauer. Two of the ears only are ergotted, while the 

 great majority are affected by another and better known disease, 

 bunt or pepperbrand, due also to a minute parasitic fungus (Til- 

 Jet i a caries, Tub). 



Bauer made a series of experiments with the view of discovering 

 the manner in which different diseases due to microscopic fungi 

 might be communicated to wheat and other cereals. He placed a 

 quantity of the powder (spores) of bunt on the seed of spring 

 wheat, which he then sowed. As the wheat ripened it became ex- 

 tensively affected with the bunt disease. In bunt the contents of 

 the grains are generally completely replaced by a uniform black 

 powder; the grain is brittle 

 and easily crushed between the 

 fingers, when it has a greasy 

 feeling and gives off an offen- 

 sive fetid smell. Under the 

 microscope this black powder 

 is seen to be composed of 

 spherical spores with a reticu- 

 lated surface (Fig. 196). If a 

 diseased grain is examined be- 

 sporc* of Bunt showing the threads of My- fore the spores are fully ripe, 



celmtn. Very highly magnified. ^ ^ be geen tQ be attach- 



ed by short stalks to a fine branched thread or mycelium, which 

 appears to be absorbed as the spores ripen ; it can scarcely be de- 

 tected in the fully ripe bunt. 



Besides the bunt, ergot also appeared in Bauer's small experi- 

 mental crop of spring wheat, and in the head figured (Fig. 195, p. 

 453) he observed that the same grain was attacked by both fungi, 

 as was noticed subsequently by Phillipi and others, and has been 

 illustrated and described by Tulasne. A spikelet from the centre 

 of this head is represented double the size of nature in Fig. 197 

 (p. 455). This consists of three grains, all diseased. That in 

 the centre is the largest, the great size being due to the growth of 



