The Rock Island Argus., 1884-09-15
Are the C0ckleburs Poisonous ,

are the t0ckleDurS POiSODOUS |
There are two species of the cock,o.
burs or clotburs, both coarse, vile
weeds, supposed to have been miro. |
duced from Europe, but now thorouob-
~ naturallzed and running wild almost
everywhere in this country. The most
common species in the Middle and
western States is the Nanthium struma-
rum. 1t has broad ovate leaves. some
what three lobed and tootbed and
without prickles at the base. The flow,
erS are very minute, and of greenish
yellow color, the sterile ones in numer-
GUS sub-glob0se heads at the summit.
the fertile flowers below are enclosed in
prlcHiy lnvolucre or bur OF an oval
form, and the prickles are nearly
straight. The burs are about half an
inch long. There is a variety of this
species that mas burs nearly an inch
long. with more numerous prickles.
and the beak slightly incuryed. The
other species is known as the thornv
clotbur X. spinosum, and has ovate
ianceolate ana entire or Slightly three
Iobed leaves, armed at the base with
slender three parted spines. The fr1it
Is about an inch long, with a single
beaklike tip. 1t is common on sandy
shores, from New England sonthward
to Georgia. 1t grows three to four feet
high, with many branches.
The first species, which, rs we have
sad, Is the most common in the North.
grows IN waste places along roadsides,
IN barnyards, and in cattle pens-m
laet' appears almost spontaneously
wherever cattle, sheep or swine have
trampIed down and killed out other
Kinds of vegetation. Cattle wards that
nave not been used for few weeks or
months are pretty sure to show a GOOD
crop OF cOckleburs, and the y0un~
plants have the reputation of beinG
poisonous, or at least injurious to swine,
and of causing death in n few hours;
and yet bOtanistS and chemists have
tailed to discover any noxous proper
ties III these plants. 1t is certainly we'll
| known that swine, when very hungry,
will eat the young, tender plants, and
that many have died soon after. wheth-
er from poison or some other cause. A
recent instance of this kind occurred at
kennett, Mo, rs reported to us by Rob-
ert +. Sanders, of that place, and in
answer to some inquiries in REGARD to
the matter Mr.. Sanders writes:
by way of explanation l can say that it is
proyerbial among The Old farmers, and hog
if tst ,mcrynS fnn, o,l't' t.'c cum pant wren
only sporting two leaves. is absolute drath
10 hog, AS to the sugge 'tlon that death may
ach with indi@SsfhSS sf foG f"6GIrI1IlnE Gn @ f S'4 &
can b. 50, or that death could be possibly pro,
from from ns1nri ny .ll iii'''ilGa, means as know
plant Is cx esdingy tender. b@ing % of a'tr,s r,s.
marka1ly rapid growth, ana very watcry and
Rrsies I'm I""I l'fni'& i 10 DC dubious
which the hogs were turned over night more it1ro
than than one one peck measure iull Of the plants and
by fhe swine in % bC"c [gs were ' oatHn
certain that death could not have been pro pro-
usih1o @cSfii ny .G sIaCh Wlh lnd-
seventy head of large hogs turned into Inc Ioi
over night, and during the succeeding day
cal ,ns nor I & i' uadonl-
other opportunity present itself will have if
done
From the above report of Mr. San
ders 1t would seem that the farmers of
Missouri are quite confident that the
young cockleburs are in some way de-
| StrUctlve to swine, and they are not
alone in their belief, for from a recent
number of the Prairie Farmer we learn
that Mr.. Henry Carbon. of Iowa. had
twenty-threc fine hogs that were turned
in among some cocklebur plants at
night, and the next morning all but one
were dead. Prof. Falger of the Iowa
Agricultural College. seeing this state
ment, gives an account of some expert
ments he mada with this plant some
two years ago. He reports in the Cot
| leqe Journal that he selected couple
of pigs for 4 test as to the injurious
effects of this weed. The pigs refused
to eat the plants that We're six inches
or more high, even when other food was
withheld. but they would eat very small
and tender ones. Several hundred of
these. making about q quart in bulk,
were several times fed to each PIC with
out the least indication of injury. From
these experiments the Professor comes
TO the conclusion that the cookie
bur plants are not injurious to swine,
and that the cause OF death must be
sought elsewhere. He also adds thai
the old seeds and burs may have been
eaten in some instances with
the Young plants. and that the injury
resulted therefrom. But whatever may
be the cause of death in swine, whether
frommpaction of stomach or ntestines
or from some unknown poisonous pro
perties of the plant, the fact seems tC
be well sustained that the cocklebur:
are dangerous plants, and should be de
stroyed wherever found.
DIR. Darlington, il his work OF
weeds and Useful Plants, refers t(
the cIoiburs rs ''Ylie Weed the burs o
which are 4 great annoyance Ill The
tleeces of sheep. but does not mention
that they possess any noXiouS proper