Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1899-10-28
Poisonous Plants.

A "i" haI hllul or poisonous seams
TO be lost when tho animals are domast;.
Gated, as a result of which thousand. If
hosd OF live stock are lost in this country
every year through poisonous vegetation.
10 prevent this loss in so Jar as possibls
the department Of Agriculture has bee m
making scientific Investigations and
tests, and has now issued preliminary
catalogue OF plants poisonous to stock
by W. X. Chestnut, B. S, assistant in
the botany division OF the department.
Mr.. Chestnut describes fifty-two plants
known to be poisonous to stock, thirty
niue plants concerning the poisonous
qualities oil which there is good, though
not positiveSevidence, and thirtv-seven
plants which come under the head Of
suspects. Nearly all of these forms of
vegetation are of common growth in var
ious parts of the country, and az MANY
OF them are as dangerous to human be-
lngs as to cattle. The catalogue con-
talns information OF value to the general
public az well as the farmer and the
stock raiser.
OF the grasses, which nearly all rumi-
nantanimals Of this continent feed upon
several species are dangerous. The seed
OF the darncl, or poison rye grass which
grows abundantly on the Pacific slope,
is said to be dangerous to both animals
and man. In New Mexico and Arizona
grows perennial grass locally known as
sleepy grass, which horses and cattle
bred in that region recognize and eschew
as harmful; but imported stock feed up
on it and often die of its narcotic effects,
falling into deep slumber from which
it is impossible to arouse them. Indian
corn grass has been described as fatal to
cattle wnen eaten in considerable GUAM
titles; but Mr.. Chestnut believes that
the poisonous properties are due, not to
the vegetation itself, but to parasite
growths upon it. The common species
of ergot which grows among meadow
grasses causes yearly heavy mortality.
Every year farmers report the poisoning
of cattle from eating golden rod, bat
this too is very likely case OF parasitic
growth, known as rust.
Another product Of the flower garden,
and ona OF the most beautiful, is swift
and violenj poison to man and beat alike
the delicate and fragrant lily Of the val
ley. Cases OF severe poisoning are on
record, where people have merely bitten
at the stems OF the fowerIn abstraction-
Most dreaded Of all poisonous weeds
by the ranchman is the loco weed, com
mon in one form or another throughout
the West where il does enormous damage
to stock. The chiat damage is to horses
which aeem to take to the weed more
readily than cattle, and soon become
locoed. A horss ig said to be locOed
when he acquires an unnateral appetl-
to for the delterous weed. Once III this
condition, he will touch no other food
and in short time becomes crazy, in
which state he sometimes runs wild,
flashing out with his heels and biting any
man or animal that comes near him,
and sometimes staggers about with
drooping head and haG-cIosed eyes until
death superycnes. The cause of death is
thought to bs inantion rather than &C.
tual poisoning in loco cases, as there IS
no noprishment in the weed and the AMI
mails addicted to the habit pine away
with surprising rapidity. The loco habit
in horses is comparable to the opium or
hasheesh habit in human beings, eN-
cept that the animal, having no reason
ing powers TO act as 3 check. upon his
appetite, succumbs more quickly. Inc
state OF Colorado between 1881 and 1880
paid out in bounties nearly 100000 in
an effort to cxterminato the wooIly loco
weed which is the conmonest species III
that region, but the plant ID etlll aonn-
dant there. Heavy Losses arc reported
yearly from the stemless or lambert loco
weed. also. To sheep the lupines,
genus of herbaceous shrub, are almost
as deadly as the loco to horses, though
there is some question whether the plant
contains actually poisonous qualities or
causes death from purely mechanical el-
fects by clogging the intestIne6 ana
c using bloatng. Reports from three
herds in 1898 show mortality OF about
. 900 from lupine eating.
In the eastern half OF tho United
statos. where H. .at.. crows the rat
tIebox the rattleno cod, 10 an object OF
cnncern to the farmers, lest It become
mixed with hay in cutting Tor IN this
,yav it is fresuentIy fatal to horses ana