The evening times., 1899-10-12
A WARNING 10 FARMERS
Results Of an Expert Investigation
Of Poisonous Plants.
The Botanical Division of the De-
Eartment of Agriculture Prepar-
tation-Mnny Serious Losses of
Stock Reported From the West.

The division of botany of the Depart
ment of Agriculture has prepared trea-
tise on plants that grow in the United
States which are poisonous to man and
beast. The attempt is also made TO give
an account Of their geographical distribu-
ton and poisonous qualities.
No systematic effort has yet been made
TO study the poisonous plants of Cuba, Porto
Rico. or the Philippines. There are some
plants which are poisonous TO man, but
which are eaten with impunity by stock.
This is notably the case in regard to sew
eral specimens of poisonous rhus. There
are some poisonous plants which stock will
not eat, and among these is false jessa-
mine Those plants which are fatal in a
mechanical way have been called by Prof.
]. II. Maiden, of Australia, "stock-kil-
lers." These contain no poisonous sub
stances, but operate chiefly by clogging up
the intestines. by perforating and infiam-
ing the tissues of the eyes, nose mouth,
and intestinal tract, and by evolving gases
which distend the stomach to such de-
gree that il is impossible for the heart
and lungs TO perform their function in
creating and circulating the blood.
There have been cited numerous cases of
death in sheep, from bloat caused by eating
green alfalfa. Death is sometimes caused
by certain sharp barbed grasses and West
ern farmers have experienced considerable
difficulty with the foxtail and squirrel
tail grasses, which grow abundantly in
Western meadows. These grasses make ex-
ceilent fodder when young. but when ma
ture, the awns easily separate and fire.
quently work their way into the nose,
such intense suffering that the afflicted ami
NAL must be killed.
The hairs from the crimson clover ope-
rate differently. II overcome dried plants
are eaten by stock the hairs become easily
detached from the flower stalks and heads
and, because of the barbed structure, ac-
cumulate in the intestines in the form of
felt-like balls which gradually increase in
size until the intestines are completely
clogged. This is said to be true also of
several species Of cacti which serve for
stock In some parts of the Southwest and
Mexico.
One of the lower orders of fungi. the
ccrn-smut, is said TO be deleterious and
sometimes because of the large quantity of
dry and powder-like spores which it con-
tains when mature. These expand and
obstruct the stomach In the case of some
molds, like white mold, which is found
on corn and oats, il has been proved, il
is said, that the spores will germinate and
grow within the body. Even the feeding
OF dry fodder for too long a time has
been observed TO produce cases of blind
staggers.
The most serious losses Of stock due to
poisonous weeds have been reported from
the western half of the United States. In
three cases that occurred in October and
November, 1898, over 1000 sheep are re-
ported TO have perished. Smaller fatali-
ties have been reported from all parts OF
the United States. including Alaska. The
money value of this loss cannot be esti-
mated. The loss to one man from loco in
/ one year is estimated at 81 200 and as is
mentioned in the catalogue, the State of
Colorado paid out $200, 600 in bounties to
rid itself Of this pest. The loss from lu-
pine poisoning in Montana during the fiS-
cal year ending June 80, 1899, is estimated
at about $4,000. The number of eastern
! cases of animal poisoning investigated by
the Division of Botany during the fiscal
year ending June 80. 1899, was only six
all Of which were of minor Importance
Twenty cases from west Of the Mississippi
We're investigated during the same period
Link is charged with having caused the
death of many horses during the winter
of 1889 throughout the Missouri Valley
in Illinois. Indiana, Tennessee, and Mary
land. Among the poisonous plants identi-
fled and against which farmers and stock
men are warned are: Ergot, corn smut
fly amanita, bracken fern, field horsetail
ground hemlock darneI or poison rye
grass, sleepy grass. fly poison. swamp
hellebore, California false he'letore, death
camas. alkali grass. leucocrinum, crow poi
son, yelloy false garlic. lily of the valley,
red root. atamasco lilly. acorns, slender
nettle. black greasewood or chic poke or
garget. corn cookie. sleepy catchiy.
monkshood or wolfsbane, red baneberry
common wind flower, dwarf larkspur. field
larkspur, purple larkspur, Wyoming lark
spur, tall mountain larkspur green helle-
bore, cursed crowfoot, common mandrake
sweet-scented shrub, Mexican poppy. corn
poppy, laurel cherry, wild black cherry,
loco weed, rattlesnake, and about one hun
dred others.