464 



spores of the perfect fungus developed from the ergot, or the 

 "spores" (spermatia or conidia) of the early sphacelia state of 

 the parasite. 



The plant is carried over the winter in the dormant ergot con- 

 dition. A large proportion of the ergot in a field, when it is fully 

 ripe, falls to the ground during the operations of the harvest, or 

 by the friction of the spikes against each other through the action 

 of the wind. These ergots remain on the ground during the win- 

 ter without undergoing any change. They are dormant, like the 



Fig. 209. 



cereals come into flower, and by the action of wind or rain they 

 obtain access to the flowers. 



In 1856 Durieu communicated ergot to rye by placing the spores 

 of the Claviceps on its flowers. Roze has since confirmed and ex- 

 tended these observations ('Bulletin Soc. Bot. de France,' 1870). 



It is, then, by these minute needle-like spores that the disease 

 is communicated at first to all crops ; and the principal effort of 



