The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-12-22
TALKS OF CORN STALKS.
MI. Dauner Gives His Reasons for Them
Proving Fatal.

A. F. S Danner of Harvey county,
and one of the leading farmers OF
Kansas, was in the city yesterday, and
in speaking of the number Of cattle
which had died from running on corn
stalks this fail said:
Il find in brief, that the death Of so
many cattle that have been grazed on
stalk fields is due 10 the presence Of
saTupeter in uhe corn stalks, which de-
leterious element is present in unusual
quantities this season. The saltpeter
can be detected by a very simple test.
Take the pith OF the stalk and light 1t
with an ordinary match. If there IS
much saltpeter in it you will have no
trouble in getting il to burn 1t VIII
SiZZ like a fire-cracker fuse and some
times almost explode as if it contained
gunpOwder. Indeed the little crystals
can often be seen with the naked eye on
the outside Of the stalk after peeling off
the leaf sheath. 1t is generally found in
the joints from six inches to foot
above the ground though sometimes
one Joint will have it and the next viii
not, or it will be present IN one stalk in
a hill and the rest will be entirely free.
81 can make no explanation for these
peculiaritieS, unless it be the difference
in growth and condition of the stalk al
that particular season of the year when
climatic conditions are favorable for
the storing UP of the drug, viz: hot,
dry spell while the stalk IS, or ought 10
be. growing"
In describing the effect Of eating corn
stalks charged with this injurious
chemical ne said: Let a cow fill up on
corn stalks. with half enough saltpeter
in them to kill her, the corn stalks alone
would not kin her, nor the saltpeter,
but The saltpeter or nitre starts infia-
nation in the various Stamachs-a cow
has a lot OF them-lver. lungs and in
testines. coagulates me blood in the
heart, drives ali the liquid out of the
body, and by this time the fodder itself
takes hold with both hands and helps
along by drying and becoming hard.
The various stomachs give two or three
hard tugs at this hard, indigestible
mass in their already half-poisoned con-
dition, then give up in dispair and tele-
gr-arlh to the brain that something is
wrong down there. and the brain tele-
graphs back. yes, know it Then the
cow dies in very few minutes. with a
double ailment of compound extract Of
potash and aqua forts and dry muir
rain.
Now. what will help the sick COW?
Flour and water in large quantities viii
neuUralize the poison Of the saltpeter,
hut if she has enough fodder in her TO
cause dry murrain from her irTitated
condition. what then? If, after testing
your field, and you can do that your
self. YOU find considerable saitpeter in
st. You VIII either have 10 keep a mill
dam well filed with -four and keep il
stirred while the cattle are drinking,
and not let them have any other water,
or else keep them out of the field"
He suggests that heavy rains VIII
probably destroy the most OF the salt
peter IN the stalks, but that II all
should be tested before using, and ne
urges the farmers not 10 burn the stalks
10 get rid OF the saltpeter. bat 10 pillow
them under and save the ground the
best fertilizer the world produCes.