118 
SELECTED ARTICLES. 
at an early period, it is found that the young grain of the rye 
is composed of a body or ovary minutel} T hairy, and of an oval 
form, (fig. 1, a), which is surmounted by a small crown of 
stiff hairs (b), from amidst which the two styles (c c) bearing 
plumose stigmas, take their origin from the apex of the grain; 
at this time the embryo is almost invisible; its place is seen at 
(d); below the grain can be observed the apex of the minute 
stalk or receptacle (g) on which it rests, and from which arise 
the two scales {e e) that cover the base of the ovary; the lines 
(ff) in fig. 1, show the position of the palese (f f, fig. 3). All 
of these organs, as well as their position and structure, it is 
necessary to bear in mind, in order to judge of their alteration 
in the diseased state. 
When the grain of rye is matured, it frequently retains the 
remains of the stigmas and its hairy crown, as at fig. 2, b and 
c c, and always presents an enlarged embryo at its base (a), 
which is joined obliquely to the albumen (d) above, and is 
articulated inferiorly, together with the albumen, to the re- 
ceptacle (g). 
When the healthy condition of the young grain was clearly 
made out, it could easily be seen when that, state would be de- 
parted from by any particular grain about to become replaced 
by an ergot; and it is seldom that more than two or three 
occur on the same spike, as represented in the figure, where 
the ergot is in its natural position. 
The first appearance of the commencement of the growth of 
the ergot is observed by the young grain and its appendages 
becoming covered with multitudes of minute cobweb-like fila- 
ments, which run over all its parts, cementing anthers and 
stigmas together (fig. 4, a), and with a white coating, which 
appears as if plastered on or left by the evaporation of some 
liquid, and stuck to the surface of the body of the young ergot, 
completely concealing it from view, as represented fig. 4, a. 
This white covering could be most easily detached by placing 
the infected grain in a little water, when countless numbers 
of minute particles would be loosened from its surface, and 
