WELLINGTON PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4159, 20 July 1874, Page 3

WELLINGTON PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY.

The first meeting of the present season of the Philosophical Society was held on Saturday evening in the Maori house attached to the Colonial Museum ; the President, Dr. Knight, in the chair. All the available space iu the fantastically fashioned building was occupied, and the interest of the meeting was greatly added to by the presence .of an unusually large number of ladies. NEW MEMBERS. The following new members were elected ; —Hon. Wm. Fox, M.H.R. ; Mr. Thomas Kirk, F.L.S. ; Mr. C. H. Borlase, Mr. G. M. Wink, Mr. Alex. Kerr, F.11.G.5. ; Mr. Alex. McKay, and Mr. John Newton Coleridge. DISTINGUISHED VISITORS. Before the business of the evening was formally entered upon, Dr. Hector introduced to the society Dr. Berggren, of the University of Lund, who is at present engaged in making a botanical exploration of New Zealand, and Mr. Joseph Holloway, agent for the Agricultural Laborers’ Union, who is making a tour of observation through the various Provinces for the purpose of furnishing a report upon the suitability of New Zealand as a field for immigration. THE PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS. The President, in opening the business of the evening, delivered an able address, which passed in review the various questions discussed at the society’s meetings during the past year. The delivery of the address occupied almost an hour and a half, so that its reproduction in cxtenso wouldnecessarily occupy more space than we have at disposal. Its main feature was a dissertation upon certain peculiarities in the climate of New Zealand, and the evidences, which in the opinion of the President, proved the former existence of glacial periods in the southern hemisphere just as in the northern, but occurring alternately. Upon this particular matter his views were opposed to those which attributed the former extension of glaciers to local or geographical changes and entirely in accord ■with Mr. Croll’s theory that the extreme periods of cold were due to changes in the eccentricity of the earth’s orbit. The effect of ice in producing surface features had, iu his opinion, been greatly overrated, and following up this opinion the President explained that the great ice sheets, several thousand feet in thickness, which the ice theorists required, could not have existed, as the pressure of the mass of ice would melt the lower stratum. Following up this line of argument Dr. Knight said he considered that the water which flowed even throughout the winter from beneath glaciers was the result of the melting, and that therefore there must be a definite limit to the thickness of ice, unless the temperature were much lowered. It was demonstrated as a matter of calculation that 3000 feet of ice, to remain as ice, would require the lower stratum to have a temperature of 13 degrees Fahrenheit, and in that case no water would, of course, flow from beneath the ice. At the conclusion of the address, of which the above is merely a brief outline, a vote of thanks was moved by Mr. W. T. L. Travers, seconded by Mr. J. C. Crawford, and carried, both these gentlemen, however, pointing out those portions of the address the views contained in which they took exception to. ERGOT IN BYE GRASS. Dr. Hector introduced to the notice of the Society a very important question as affecting the interests of sheep farmers and agriculturists throughout the Colony, namely, the presence of ergot in rye grass. The subject was one to which Dr. Hector had devoted some attention previously, but the presence of ergot in rye grass pastures had so much increased during the past season that several persons residing in various parts of the Colony had brought the subject again under his notice by correspondence, which was read to the meeting. From this correspondence it appeared that the Hon. Mr. Fox had devoted considerable attention to the subject, and his experience, together with that of the other communicants, went to show that the effect of the presence of ergot was to give rise to a disease amongst breeding stock, which greatly reduced the increase. In one instance quoted, where a flock of ewes had been placed in a paddock where ergot was afterwards found to be present, the increase was only 17 per cent. Cattle and horses were said to be affected by the ergot in the same manner. Dr. Hector said the subject was one which required close investigation, as it was quite possible that the same unseasonable weather which favored the growth of fungi might also produce the effects attributed to the presence of ergot. It was undoubted, however, that some of the symptoms described in the correspondence were such as would be produced by ergotism. He had placed the specimens iu Dr. Berggren’s hands for examination, and it might be regarded as very fortunate that there was at that moment, during the discussion of so important a subject, such a high authority amongst them. Dr. Berggren being requested to assist the Society in its investigations, proceeded to give a clear and interesting statemenfof the growth and development of the ergot, which he described as a fungus which passed through three distinct stages of existence : first, attacking the flower of the plant affected by it ; next, the seed, in which condition it developed the characteristic spur or horn by which it is distinguished from other diseased grain, such as rust and smut; after which it fell to the ground and developed different spores, from which sprang a ground fungus of a red color shaped somewhat like a mushroom, the spores shed from this latter form being those which attack the flower of the grass. The specimens submitted to him were unmistakeably the true ergot, which he thought must have been introduced into the Colony with grain. Mr. Berggren said it was possible the mild winters of New Zealand might affect its mode of development, as it might not require to remain so long in its winter state as iu the north of Europe. Mr. Travers thought it important that some remedy should be .sought for at the earliest possible moment.' The most speedy manner of eradicating the ergot seemed to him to be to prevent the grass from seeding by cutting it before the seed ripened. 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 grouudMr. C. C. Graham said that four years ago he remarked the presence of ergot or something like it in the toi-toi grass at Kangitikei, 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 out during one of the driest seasons known in Ids district. The Hon. Mr. Randall Johnston 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. Tlie 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. BUSINESS POSTPONED. The President stated that there were yet thirteen papers on the list for that evening, but as the important discussion just concluded bad occupied so much time, they would, of course, have to be delayed. The number of papers on the list showed the growing interest iu the proceedings of the Society, and it would probably suggest itself to members that they should meet more frequently than usual. The views of the President were generally concurred in, and at half-past ten o’clock the meeting adjourned till Saturday next. There were exposed to view upon the President’s table a number of marine objects presented to the Museum by the geutlemeu composing the Challenger expedition, and a microscope, with mounted slide, for shoving the nature of the bottom of the sea between New Zealand and Australia, as evidenced by specimens obtained from the soundings made by the Challenger. There was also on the table a large collection of books presented by the Smithsonian Institute and the Harvard College, United States ; some works sent from the Geological Society of Florence, magnificently illustrated by a new photographic process, were specially interesting. The papers held over for consideration at next Saturday’s meeting are as follows ;—“ On the Origin of Cook Strait," by Mr. J. C. Crawford ; “ Explorations of the Sumner Moa Cave," by Mr. Alex. McKay ; “ Maori Knowledge of the Moa,” by Mr. J. W. Hamilton ; “On the Tertiary Series of Wanganui,” by Mr. C. W. Purnell ; “ The Microscopic Structure of Certain Igneous Kocks of New Zealand,” by Mr. 11. Daintree ; and a paper “ On the Fishes of New Zealand,” by Dr. Hector.