Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1900-09-04
DUBIOUS PASTURES.
Differing verdicts of Authorities.
You Take Your Choice.


You Take Your Choice.
Many have become suspicious in re-
gard to pasturing sorghum on account
of reported i'll effects. u. Z. Lyon Of
the Nebraska station says:
The records Of this station do not
show any cases of sudden death from
sorghum occurring in the eastern por-
ton of. Nebraska with the exception Of
a few which occurred op second
growth sorghum. There is also reason
to believe that plants producing this
disastrous effect have not made
healthy growth and are yellow and
wilted, condition easily detected by
the farmer. 1t would therefore seem
reasonable to conclude that no danger
is to be encountered in pasturing sor-
ghum Of healthy growth in eastern Ne
braska. ist - S
Again, it would appear that no dam
ger is incurred if the sorghum is fed
after cutting and allowing to lie for
some time. A sample Of sorghum was
recently received by the station with
letter accompanying it stating that the
plants were parts of very few par
tally eaten By cow which was killed
by them in two minutes. The sample
was fed to. a COW on the station farm
without injuring her in the least. This,
together With the fact that no poison
has been detected in samples sent to
the station for analysis. would indicate
that any toxic substances which the
plants might have contained have be-
come dissipated after cutting. The
length Of time required for this is not
known, but it IS certainly accomplish
ed in few days. AS sorghum is un-
doubtedly the best annual midsummer
forage crop for this region it is impor-
tant that its limitations should be well
defined. The use of healthy sorghum
for pasturage with the ordinary pre-
cautions in eastern Nebraska and Of
sorghum hay may be considered safe.
On the other hand, Secretary Coburn
of the Kansas board Of agriculture
finds that both sorghum and Kaffir
corn are often deadly in their conse-
quences to cattle. He says:
Because they have seen cattle eat
young first growth and second growth
sorghum and kaffir corn and in some
instances pretty nearly subsist on them
without apparent harm many persons
are ready to maintain that these green
growths are never dangerous. Yet un-
der circumstances and for reasons
which no one is yet able to explain
other persons in numerous instances
find to their sorrow that the plants are
oil INN tota al fat to1 ,;e,H
gests that no one is justified in taking
any chances BY permitting cattle to
have access to such green's Three
cases have occurred within few days.
Thomas Feakes of Lincoln county
turned his cows into an unused corral
where a few scattering lunches of
kaffir corn We're growing, In less than
30 minutes seven of the cows that had
nipped the growing blades Were dead:
several others were made very sick.
but recovered
s3sttJ Ohm Kaser of Covert Osborne
county, was driving a lot Of young cat
tie through q pasture where there were
stools Of green Kaffir corn and sor-
ghum. Within so minutes 10 out OF IL I
heifers that had eaten OF these sprouts
were dead. G. r. Wadsworth OF the
same county at about the same time
lost six steers Ia the same way =
Any ybody possessing a p1lonograph
can purchase a roll which will produce
parts Of Mr.. Bryan Indianapolis
speech. But this is not the sort OF
roll the laboring man would want with
his dinner pail