The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-03-13

partment Of Agriculture. and has been
thus far of great benefit to farmers all
over the country
MI Chestnut says. In view Of the fire.
quent complaints made by farmers and
others against various plants as poisonous
TO man and to animals. il is surprising
that no illustrated account has been pub
lished OF our harmful native species in
such form as to be readily accessible TO
those who are most likely to suffer from
their Effects Then again. II is an ac-
knovledged fact that as no statistical in
formation can be obtained it is impossible
70 estimate the damage caused each year
by the consumption Of poisonous growths
by animals or people. In Oregon there IS
plant which kills on the average Of 100
cattle per annum. Colorado has paid over
$500 .OO0 in vain 10 eXterminate
Ioco-weed which has become pest. Poi
son ivy is yearly causing thousands OF
people distress and cannot possibly be eN-
terminated All that can be done is to
place before the people liable to such dan
gers information which will help them 10
keep within safety"
The ToadstooI-
One OF the most common of the poison
Gus plants is what is known scientifically
as the fy amanita (Amanita muscaria L..
and ordinarily named the "toadstool." Mr..
Chestnut says of this fungus growth
The fly amanita is handsome, robust
species 4 to 10 inches high. 1t Is singu-
Iarly free from larval pests and the usual
signs OF decay. and is highly attractive
in appearance. taste and smell In its
early stages the shape Of the cap is very
strongly convex but by gradual expansion
IL becomes fat and even concave II IS
invariably warty. In color il varies from
nearly white through all shades Of yellow
TO a bright red. As a rule. il is more
reddish in the centre and light yellow
outward. but sometimes the color rs uni
form throughout.
The enlarged base is marked with
short. stubby projections Of the skin.
which are generally replaced upward
along the lower part OF the stem by soft.
flexible shaviuCs. The general shape of
the plant is very much like that OF the
orange amanita tAmauita caesarea). but
IL differs conspicuOusly In the absence Of a
cup and in the possession Of white instead
OF yellow gil:s and stems. Il differs also
In usually having warty instead Of
smoth cap. Both grow in pine and oak
forests from spring to autumn but the
edible species does not appear so late
In the autumn the other. From the
common mushroom tAgaricus campestris)
the hy amanita is easily distinguished by
having white instead OF purple gills and
spores by it's warty cap and dubious
stem. and by its place Of grOwth-the
meadow mushroom never appearing in
forests The fly amanita is abundant in
several localities in the United States"
Another plant which is very much like
the fly amanita is the death cup. II is
Fvr
Like the ny amanita, il is deadly poison.
In the vicinity OF this city il is very album
dant in late autumn.
dangerous plant which grows IN the
New England States IN the cold localities
Of New York, Delaware. Virginia. and in
The Allegheny Mountains TO Georgia, west
ward in northern Wisconsin. and ina the
mountains OF oregon. Washington. and
Idaho is the American False hellebOre.
known to the farmers by the many names
OF Indian poke. meadow poke. poke root.
puppet root. earth gall crow poison. dew
lis bite dUckretter. itch weed. buEbaue.
wolf bane. and bear corn. II is a stout
herbaceous simple stcmmed perennial.
six to seven feet In height. with a heshy
root one 60 three inches iu length. II has
large plated stemless leaves OF varying
size. aand large. iCOse. terminal cluster
Of yellowish-green flowers. which blossom
from May 10 July. Il grows in wet mead
oWS ana along mountains brooks
The Deadly POI,c,Yecd.
A smooth. rank and succulent peren-
Mai, six to nine feet in height which
grows ell over the United States. is the
poIeweed or jalap. II is not so deadly in
its effects if eaten as the heIcbore. OF
"toadstool." Its root is used for many
household purposes. In the fall IL bears
shining purple-black berries.
a plant which grows TO much extent in
wheat fields IN the Northern States is the
corn cookie. Ii is an annual and is whitish
wolly I'm appearance II bears red flowers
and numerous rough black seeds. Ia IS
quite prevalent in Europe Poisoning is
frequently produced by a poor grade Of
Hour made from wheat containing cookie
seeds.
There are three varieties OF larkspur
which are poisonous. the dwarf Wyoming
and the purple. The dwarf larkspur grows
in Ohio. North Carolina. and Minnesota.
Cattle that eat IL die. and many cases OF
death have been reported from Ohio The
larkspur is an erect herb about nine inches
in height with paimately lobed leaves
and clusters OF SNOWY flowers. The Wvo-
ming larkspur is found in Wyoming and
northern Colorado and the purple Iarkspur
in California. Montana, and South Dakota
The black cherry, known in various parts
OF the country as the wild black cherry
wild cherry, rum cherry. and whisky cher
~ is a valuable forest tree growing from
sixty to eighty feet high covered with red
dish brown scaly bark and bearing taper
ing saw-edged leaves. In April and May
IL has cylindrical clusters Of small white
flowers and small shining black fruit,
about a quarter OF an inch in diameter Ii
grows in the Middle Atlantic and Ohio
River states. Cattle are poisoned fire.
quently by eating the leaves OF the tree
and children from eating the kernels Of
the seed or swallowing the fruit whole
One Of the most poisonous plants is the
woody loco weed. II is found mostly in
the Western States and is OF perennial
growth. II Is from eight to ten inches in
height and has an abundance of soft To-
liGEC sprinEing out In a cluster from
short central stem close to the ground
Horses. cattle and sheep are affected by
loco. but he principal damage is done to
horses. TIE effect is not acute. but i'm its
slow progress Stimulates diseases caused
by bacteria or such as are caused in man
by the continued use OF alcohol tobacco
or morphine. Two stages are recognized
The first which may last several months
IS a period OF hallucination or mania ac-
companied by defective eyesght. during
which the animal may perform all sorts or
antics. After acquiring a taste for the
plant Il refuses every other kind OF food
and the second stage is ushered i'm. This
is a lingering period Of emaciation. char
acterized by sunken eyeballs. lusterless
hair, and feeble movements. The animal
dies 20 IL from starvation, in periods rang
ing from few months to one or two years
~. 81. lace faar