The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-22
POISONS OF THE FIELDS.
NOKIOUs WEEDS FROM WHICH DOMES-
TIC ANIMALS SUFFER-.

NOKIOUS WEEDS FROM WHICH DOMES-
TIC ANIMALS SUFFER-.
Most Dreaded of All by the Rnnchmhn IL
the Loco Weed-Common Plants Harm
full to Cattie-Fifty-Two Plants Knownt to
BE Poisonous and Seventy-siN suspected.
That unfailing instinct in wild animals which
teaches them what forms OF vegetation ate harm
full or sonous seems TO he lost when the animals
are domcsticated, az a result Of which thousands
Of head of live stock are lost in this country every
year through poisonous vegetation To prevent
this loss in ~ far as possible the Department OF
Agriculture has been making scientific inyestga
ton and tests and has now issued preliminary
Catalogue Of Plants Poisonous TO Stock, by V. *.
Chestnut Is. S assistant in the botany division
Of the Department Mr.. Chestnut describes hity-
two plants known to he poisonous TO stock thirty
nine plants concerning the poisonous qualities OF
which there isl good. though not positiveevidence
and thirty seven plants which come under the head
Of suspects Nearly all OF these forms OF Negcta'
ton are Of common growth in various parts Of the
country, and as many Of them are as dangerous to
human beings as TO cattle the catalogue contains
information OF value to the general public as wei!
az the farmer and stock raiser
In considering the circumstances" writes Mr.
Chestnut. under which stock eat obnoxious vege.
familiarity. The odor and the taste of the plants
which are ordinarily eaten by stock are 80 varied
that il is little wonder that any animal when
placed among plants with which il is unfam
will eat one that is decterious Especially when
hungry or thirsty such animals are apt to cat
anything Of the kind placed within their reach
The custom 10 prevalent i'll the West OF driving
large herds OF cattle and sheep from one pasture
ground over wide area OF barren country To another
is especially conducive to losses from plant
poisoning
of the grasses which nearly all ruminant
animals Of this continent feed upon. several species
are dangerous The seed Of the darnel, or poison
rye grass which grows abundantly on the Pacific
Slope, is said to be dangerous 10 both animals
and man. In New Mexico and Arizona grows
a perennial grass locally known az sleepy grass
which horses and cattle bred in that region
recognize and eschew as harmful: but imported
stock feed upon it aud often die Of its narcotic
effects. falling into a deep slumber from which
it is impossible 10 arouse them Indian corn
grass has been described as fatal to cattle when
eaten in considerable quantities. but Mr.. Ches-
nut believes that the poisonous properties are
due not TO the vegetation itself, hut to parasitic
growhs upon it, The common species OF ergot
which grows among meadow grasses causes
yearly heavy mortality. Every year farmers
rod but this. too is very likely case OF parasitic
growth, known as rust
Not only cattle but human beings also are
often the victims of the fly amanita, a species
Of toadstool common in pine woods throughout
the country and bearing a strong resemblance
TO the edible mushrooms. II is called fly anna.
nita because the only use thus far discovered
for il is 10 rub up the cap Of the fungus in milk.
in which condition il is an excellent fly killer.
Another poisonous plant common locally Is
the pokeweed upon which grow pokebcrries
that look very like elder berries Country bred
children are strcnuously warned against this
fruit. but notwithstanding which there are many
cases Of death every year from eating il. Cattle
do not eat the berry. but they sometimes eat the
leaves and the effect is equally deadly. The
common aconite plant (monkshOod) is also deadly
TO cattle 1t only grows in gardens. however,
where cattle are not supposed To roam Another
product Of the flower garden. and one of the most
beautiful. is swift and violent poison 10 man
and beast alike; the delicate and fragrant lily
Of the valley. Cases of severe poisoning are on
record where people have merely bitten at the
stems Of the flower in abstraction.
Most dreaded OF all poisonous weeds by the
ranchman is the loco weed, common in one or
another Of its forms throughout the West where
il does enormous damage TO stock. The chief
damage is to horses which seem TO take to the
weed more readily than cattle. and soon become
locoed A horse is said to he lococd when he ac-
quires an unnatural appetite for the delcterous
weed Once in this condition, he will touch no
other food and in a short time becomes crazy. in
which state he sometimes Iuns Wild lashng out
with his heels and biting at any man animal
that comes him. and sometimes staggers
about with dropping head and half-closed eyes
mt he ri n
thought 10 he inaniton rather than actual pois-
oning in loco cases, as there in no nourishmeu;
in the weed and animals addicted 10 the habit
pine away with surprising rapidly. The loco
habit in horses Is comparable 10 the opium or
hashecsh habit in human beings except that the
animal having no reasoning powerG 10 act as
check upon his appetes, succumbs more quickly.
The state Of Colorado between 1881 and 1885
paid out IN bountes nearly 100000 in an effort
TO exterminate the woolly loco weed which is the
| commoncst species in that region, hut the plant
is still abundant there Heavy losses arc report
ed yearly from the lambert or stemless loco
weed, also. TO sheep the lupines, a genus Of
| herbaccous shrub are almost as deadly as the
| loco is TO horses though there is some question
whether the plant contains actually poisonous
| qualities or causes death from purely mechanical
effects by clogging the intesincs and causing
| bloatng Reports from three herds in 1893 show
| a mortality Of about :, 900 from lupne eating.
| In the eastern half of the United States where
il chiefly grows the rattlcbox rattlcweed is
object OF concern 10 farmers lest il become mixed
with hay in cutting for in this way il is frequently
| fatal to horses and sometimes 10 cattle. In its
| growing state animals will not touch il. This
curious weed Is also a source OF extreme terror
10 human beings who encounter il after the plan,
| has begun 10 get dry and the oblong pods which
il bears begin 10 stitIen for in that condition the
| peas within the pods, when the plant is struck
or brushed against, rattle with an exact and blood
| chilling imitation OF the waning Of the rattle
snake, whence the plant takes its name, Croididrtd
| sagittdiiS, from Crotalus hescientihc name OF
| the raulesnakc family. Al least one species
| Of the common buttercup IS poisonous 10 cattle,
the celery leaved or cursed crowfoot, and i
| thought that all the kinds Of buttercups which
| grow in swanlpy land are dangerous In general
| however. cattle avoid all the butteIcups ON ac
| count Of the extremely acTid taste. The common
milkwced OF asclepias though commonly avoided
| by cattle has been known 10 cause death when
mixed in hay \ few cases OF poisoning by Jim
| son weed in hay are also cited. The proper
| ties OF the common swamp helleborc, known also
| as Indian poke, are not yet fully understood.
| Cases are known of both men and horses being
| poisoned by this plant, yet sheep eat the young
| leaves and shoots greedily and without evil RI
| fccts. On the other hand the seed is death Il