The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1864-10-25
CHINESE SUGAR CANE AND CArrLE.

/ correspondent of the Fayetteville Observer
makes the following remarks on the poisoning of
cattle by the use as food of Chinese Sugar cane:
First, as to its poisoning cattle: My opinion is
that the cause is similar to theory which have
In private pressed to the cause of the famous
Milk Sick. 1t is noted fact, in our mountains at
least, that if cattle are kept up until the dew dries
off from the green forage and driven in before the
dew falls in the evening, that they never suffer
from this sickness. Hence drew The idea that it
was caused by some poisonous exhalation which
combining either with the hydrogen of the dew or
with some of the chemical elements of the plants
perhaps both-formed as long as the dew lasted
poison--say similar to Hydrocyanic (Prussic)
Acid or some of its combinations. At any rate I
am informed that the leaves of the "Peruvian tree
of our mountains or even of cur common wild
Cherry when wet with dew are deadly poison, but
when dry from the sun are harmless. The similar
theory have in relation 60 the Sorghum is that its
poisonous qualities, if it has any, are due to simi
lar combination of its acid with some other chemi
cal constituent with the dew, and that The reason
OF its being more injurious to cattle n certain sec-
tions-swampy regions for instances because the
dews are heavier aud more fully laden with the
hurtfa gases in those sections. This lie theory il
Is true, but theory drawn from observation. Then
too some may pun it With dew on. others in the
middle of the day Then again that cane grown
on hlSh sandy iand Is not SO apt to poison that
grown on rich swamp or low land Some think
the cause is from the fbrous matter accommodating
in the stomach and, being hard and indigestible,
thus fills the passages and produces death. do
not think any has proved this by opening the
stomach of an animal, dead from eating the Sugar
Cane; and if it were so the same result would oc-
cur in one section as we'll as in another. Whereas
a gentleman of Sampson says his cattle died from
eating the Sugar Cane, while gentlemen from Rich
mond and Robson say their cattle live on it.
The Greensboro World copies the above and re-
marks:
AS an evidence that this theory is not correct,
we will state few facts: 81, a.,IE
Last year, we fed COW with cane that was pull
ed up in thinning, and with the suckers that were
pulled off during the summer, without regard to
dew or rain. She was fed freely in this way du-
ring the summer, without any injurious effects
The present year, when thinning the cane, we
gave small basket full to the same COW, late in
the afternoon, when it was entirely dry; she ate
but small part of it and before the next morning
she was dead. Three or four of a neighbors cows
got into his cane, during the summer, when it was
four or five feet high, during the day. They were
discovered almost Immediately and driven out be-
fore they had been in it more than ten minutes
Que of them died in a few hours and two others
were very sick. There seems to be some mystery
in the matter, and we advise extreme caution in
using the cane as food for cattle