The Wichita daily eagle., 1895-10-29
KILLED BY STALKS
THREE FARMERS LOSE CATTLE
FROM DRY MURRIAE.

Frank Means, w. II. Kirkpatrick and Al
Shepherd, Each Complain of Their Cat
| tie Being Killed by Running Upon Stalk
Fields--1he Death of the Cattle Causes
General Alarm as TO Whether the Corn
Stalks Shall Prove Fatal to Cattle as was
the Case During the Winter of 1ssI-S2
-stockmen Give Their Experiences.
There was considerable talk yester-
| tertday On. the street concerning the loss
| Of cattle which rad been killed by betng
! turned into stock fields. a reporter was
/ detailed to gather what Information
/ could be had concerning the death Of the
cattle, and finally learned that three
farmers had lost cattle from this cause
| as follows:
| L. T Means of Illinois township, one
/ OF the largest feeders in the county. had
/ lost four head on his farm three miles
southwest of Goddard.
| W. H. Kirkpatrick, living four miles
northeast Of the city in Wichita town
| ship, had lost three head.
AL Shepherd of Minneila township,
! had lost two head from the same cause.
| The cattle that had been killed were
all opened and the condition of the stem-
ach found to be the same. The stomach
was perfectly dry and so hot that a
! person could not keep the hand in the
opening. This proved one thing, and
that was that the cartle had been killed
| by fever.
What had caused the fever is the
question which interests every cattle
man. Are cattle stalks dangerous to
cattle? Was ii caused by smut on the
corn stalks? Is it possible for cattle 10
be kept on stalks some years, while at
other times this would be a dangerous
/ practice? Is there a remedy for cattle
when 50 effected? Is there a certain
kind Of treatment that can be given to
cattle running on dry stalks? Are the
corn stalks this year more dangerous
to cattle than they We're last year?
! What is the reason that some men 5
+ cattle viii appear TO do perfectly well,
while his neigfhbor's stock sicken and
/ die?
/ These We're questions which led the
reporter to go on a mission of enquiry
to the Union stock yards where every
one you meet is supposed to walking
encyclopedia on cattleology, and he was
not disappointed. They all talked and
talked freely. The subject was one that
interested them and they believed that
an article on the subject at this time Of
, the year would prove beneficial TO all.
/ In a short time "a regular Methodist
! class meeting was organized and the
/ following expressions were recorded:
/ Al. Anderson, of the well-known firm
: of Anderson Bros. of Sedgwick City was
/ the first to give in his experience as
/ follows:
II have been engaged in the cattle
business here for over fifteen years. l
run my cattle on the stalks every year.
/ consider some years that the practice
is very dangerous one, and is almost
certain to prove fatal. The present year
IS not one of these years. l can reInem-
ber the winter of 1SS1-S2 that many
farmers lost cattle from this cause, and
we lost some that year. l examined
the stalks and found them TO be a
dull, dark color, and ii was frequent
that big punches of dry, black musk
was found on the stalks. This year this
is not the case. The stalks are bright
and clear and there should be no deaths
from this cause. Still i consider 1t to
! be very dangerous practice to allow cat
tie to run on dry stalks before we have
had two or three freezes. Cattle should
not be allowed to be on the stalks very
long at a time, at least not until they
become accustomed to the dry feed.
This can easily be understood when one
stops to reflect that during the summer
the cattle fill up their sbomachs on moist
feed, but now if they are turned upon
the stalk field they load their stomachs
with perfectly dry fodder. There is not
a particle of moisture in the feed they
have taken into their stomach and di-
ge5tiion can not set in and does not COM
mence ur.il the fodder is thoroughly
moiStened. What is the result? Ma
ture is never idle. Her laws can not be
discbeyed without suffering and death
is the result The stomach is full and
when digestion fails TO set in, nature
begins her work of clearing the stom-
ach. You often see the yard or alley
/ become filled with old papers. and 10
! clear the premises of this rubbish you
( are forced to set the pile on fire and
! thus consume It. 1t is just the same
/ with the stomach and fever sets in and
/ We find what we call dry murrien. Now
I have learned lesson from this and
/ I do not allow my cattle TO be long
on the stalks, except when the air is
fun OF dagnpn'eSs. When this Is the
: case you never h5er Of cattle dying from
running on stalk fields. l always water
my cattle thoroughly before allowing
/ them to enter a corn field and / do the
same tling when they come away from
the field
| Robert Peop1es-'SThe experience CIV
! en- by Mr.. Anderson is my experience eX-
actly and 1 approve Of every word he
/ has said, but 1 would also add that
there should always be plenty of salt
within the reach Cf cattle. and If they
/ have salt cattle VIII get wafer and il
! they have pferl,y Of wafer there is no
danger Of dry murrian. remember the
| ye3gS lie spoke Of when so many cattle
| died throughout the country. That
! time il was extremely dry, something
/ like We have at the present time, and
| in almost every case where there was a
death X was found that the animal had
/ been burned UP by fever. Too much
/ care can not be taken by farmers, and
/ il would no. surprise ME much 70 hear
/ OF many deaths this fall from this cause
/ am surprised TO hear Of Frank Means
| losing cattle. He is one OF the most
/ thorough as we'll as successful cattle
men in ussis country"
r. H. Young Of Lincoln township
| There has been no deaths among cattle
| IN MY locality from this cause. but
| am E3ai The Esese = giving the warning
( cry of a!3ggn a. the proper time and
not stepping 10 lock the stable door
after the horse is stolen. There has
not been much turning in OF ca tile in
my locahty, and viii say that the talk
| of Mr. Peoples and NJ. Anderson has
done me good. / have lost cattle from
| this cause before and I know G3ey have
! the right soslti0a of the question
| W n. PaCgh-''ThIs kind OF talk az
/ this tine IS just the thing. and stDck
men Should .eara something from the
| II, 1shaps Of q hers l am a believer IN
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