Middletown transcript., 1896-07-25
MlDDLETowN MARKETS.
PRODUCE.
OF Interest
To Farmers


THE following interesting circular
upon the feeding of crimson clover has
been prepared in Department of Agri-
culture, Washington, D. G., and sent
out under date of june ID, 1896. Ed.)
In connection with the comparatively
recent introduction of crimson clover
as forage plant and green ma
nure in the United States, the fol-
lowing records of the injuri.us effect
of crimson clover hay under certain
conditions will be Of interest, and will,
it. is hoped, enable farmers to avoid
serious losses through carelessness in
the useof this crop.
With letter dated August /, 1895,
Mr.. William P. Corsa forwarded to the
Department ball of peculiar appear
ance, stating that ithad Deen taken
from the stomach of a horse belonging
to JOSEPH W: Mess:ck, of Milford, DEL,
which had been eating crimsn clover
(IrJoli,ma incaraataus), and the death
of which was ascribed to the presence
of the ball, The statement was also
made that Mr.. Alexander Ryan a few
days before had lost horse from which
two similar balls were taken. During
the preceding years several horses died
in that vicinity under similar con-
ditions, as many as thirty balls having
been taken, it is said, from the stomach
of single horse. The writer wished
to learn positively whether the balls
could have been due TO the feeding of
crimson clover and whether any pre-
ventiye could be recommended.
About the same time another letter,
from an entirely different locality, Kel-
Ter, Va, written by B. w. Mears &
Son, Angus. 2, was received by the
Department, accompanied by a ball
taken from the stomach of horse i'm
mediately after death. The statement
was made that the horse had worked as
usual without any signs of disease up
to the time of it's fatal illness. The
horse was suddenly taken with intense
pain and lived only five hours. An
other ball similar to that taken from
the stomach was found in the large in
testine. Several other horses in the
vicinity had died the preceding week.
all apparently from the same cause, and
the farmers had ascribed it to the feed
ing of crimson clover.
During the summer of 1895, DR..
Charles F. Dawson, of Washington,
received from veterinary surgeon of
Raleigh, N. c., three balls which he
had removed from tie intestine of q
hurse after death. DR.. Dawson states
that, from the correspondence which
passed between the two at the time, it
is evident that the death of the horse
was caused by these balls forming an
impermeable wedge in the bowel, THUS
preventing theonward movement Of the
food materials and comepletety shut
ting off the intestinal blood vessels
through pressure exerted upon them.
This was followed by perilonitis, gam
creme, aud the death Of the animal.
The balls received from these three
sources were uniform In all respects
save size. They were almoss exactly
spherical, of yelluwisll brown color,
with smooth, even surfaces and 6rm
texture, and were saturated with the
intestinal juices. When dried the balls,
which shrink little or none, vary nldi-1
ameter from to 4 inches, are of a
dull dun color, and have the appear
ance of fine quality If felt. In tex
ture the dried ball is SO irm that its
surface can not be indented with the
thumb, yet in weight is Unexpectedly
light, one of the balls about a inches
in.diameter weighing only A onnces.
When cut open the all is found to be
solid and to consist Of the same felt
like material throughout, showing
faint, concentric layers Of slightly diff
ferent color. Upon examining the two
surfaces Of one Of the fSlt-like layers
with q strong lens, the mass is found
to be composed OF minute rather stiff;
hairs seldom more than one-tenth Of an
inch in length, SHARPLY pointed At one
eud and enlarged OF abruptly broken
at the other. Fulthermcre. The greater
part Of the hair line with the broken o.
enlarged end toward tlls center of the
ball, the sharp end towards It's surface.
Scattered among he hAlrs there seems
to Be small Enonnt Of eafthy mstter,
noa enough d dlscUlor Il d to b con-
sp1cIoak a snY Wsys PIT 1a1icient io ]
dun T<f s lid E1Ife nsS II slfe-|