The evening times., 1900-03-13
A Danger That Turks Near Ever.
Country Home.
Thirt, Different and Common Herbs.
Mines. and Trees That Bring Death
tle-The Rest-known of All Said 10
Tie the Deadly Three-LeaNed ivy.

quent complaints made by farmers and
Others against various plants as poisonous
to man and TO animals, il is surprising
that 10 illustrated account has been pub
lished Of our harmful native species in
such form as TO be readily accessible 10
those who are most likely to suffer from
their effects Then again, it is an ac-
knowledged fact that as no statistical IN
formation can be obtained it is impossible
TO estimate the damage caused each year
by the consumption OF poisonous groWtns
by animals or people. In Oregon There IS
plant which kills on the average Of 100
CATTLE per annum. Colorado has paid over
s2U0 0oO in vain 10 eNtermlnale
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 dam
gers information which viii help hem 10
keep within safety
The ToadstoOl.
one of the most common OF the poison
Gus plants is what is known scientifically
as the fy amanita tAmanita muscar'a Ii,
and ordinarily named the "toadstool.' Mr..
Chestnut says of this fungus growth:
The fly amanita is handsome, robust
species 4 10 10 inches high. II is slngu-
larry free from larval pesJs and the usual
signs OF decay. and is highly attractive
in appearauce. taste and smell. In its
early stages the shape of the cap IS very
strongly convex but by gradual expansion
it becomes fat and even concave. II is
invariably warty. In color it varies from
nearly white through all shades Of yellow
to a bright red As rule. IT Is more
reddish in the centre and light yellow
outward. but sometimes the color is uni
form throughout.
The enlarged base is marked with
short stubhy projections Of the skin,
which are generally replaced upward
along the lower part Of the stem by soft,
flexible shavings. The general shape OF
the plant is very much like that Of the
orange amanita tAmauita caesarcal. hut
il differs conspicuously in the absence OF
cup and in the possession OF white instead
of yellow gills and stems. II 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 as the other. From the
common mushroom (Agaricus campestrisl
the hy amanita is easily distinguished by
having white Instead Of purple gllls and
spores by its warty cap and bulbous
stem. and by its place Of growth-Jhe
meadow mushroom never appearing in
forests. The 6y 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
smaller. vet very attractive in appearance.
Like the fly amanita. il is deadly poison.
In the vicinity Of this city II is very album
dant in late autumn.
A dangerous plant which grows in the
New England States. In the cold localities
OF New York, Delaware, Virginia. and in
The Allegheny Mountains 10 Georgia. west
ward in northern Wisconsin. and in 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. dev-
lis bite. duckretter. itch weed, bugbane.
wolf bane and bear corn. 1t is a stout
herbaceous. simple Stemmed perennial
six to seven feet in height. with feshv
root one TO three inches in length. II has
large plated stemess leaves OF varying
size aand a large. loose. terminal cluster
Of yellowish- green flowers. which blossom
from MAY to July II grows in wet mead
ows and along mountains brooks.
The Deadly PoLeweed
A smooth. rank. and succUlent peren-
Mai, SIX 10 nine feet in height. which
grows oil over the United States. is the
polleweed or ialap. 1t is not so deadly in
its effects if eaten as the hellebore. or
"toadstool." Its root is used for many
household purposes. In the fall il hears
shining purple-black berries.
A plant which grows to much extent in
wheat fields in the Northern States is the
corn cookie. 1t is an annual and is whtish
wolly in appearance. IT bears red flowers
and numerous rough black seeds IL IS
quite prevalent in Europe. Poisoning is
frequently produced by poor grade OF
-four made from wheat containing cookie
seeds
There are three varieties of lsrkspur
which are poisonous the dwarf Wyoming
and the purple. The dwarf larkspur grows
in Ohio. North Carolina. and Minnesota
Cattle that eat it die and many cases OF
death have been reported from Ohio. The
larkspur is an erect herb about nine inches
in heigh; with paimately lobed leaves
and clusters Of snowy flowers. The Wyo-
ming larkspur is found in Wyoming and
northern Colorado and the purple larkspur
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
ry 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 IL
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. It 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-
liage springing out in a cluster from a
short central stem close to the ground.
Horses. cattle. and sheep are affected by
loco. but the principal damage is done TO
horses The effect is not acute. but in 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 eyesight during
which the animal may perform all sorts Of
antics. After acquiring taste for the
plant it refuses every other kind OF food,
and the second stage is ushered in. This
is lingering period of emaciation char
acteriZed by sunl1en eyeballs lusterless |
hair and feeble movements The animal !
dies as il from starvation in periods rang
ing from few months to one or two years.
The stemess loco weed is very similar in
appearance and effect when eaten by some
animals or persons.
4 growth which is found nearly every
where IN the country and which frequently