Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1901-12-18
Danger in cornsatalks.

"A correspondent VI lOl tilWCelGlI
Iowa writes Wallace's Farmer: Cattle
are dying in considerable numbers in
these parts by reason of being put on
cornstalks. i have registered cattle and
stalks that l would like to utilizs but
i fear the risk. My neighbor turned his
cattle in gradually, at first feeding only
one hour'per dsy. He lost eight head.
Can you advise me what to dos.
The natule OF the cornstaik disease,
or diseases, has heretofore batlied the
skill of the scientific world. Various |
theories have been suggested. The
deaths were formerly considered to be /
the result of impaction of the stomach |
brought about by the lack of salt and |
water when cattle were turned in, or by |
allowing them to overfeed when first in
troduced into the stalktield. We ehaye
no doubt that many deaths have result
ed from this sudden change from adiet |
more or less succulent to an exceeding-
ly dry diet, as cornstalks are at this sea-
son of the year and especially if i. has
been dry, as it has been now for con-
siderable time. 1t has been found, how
ever, that many cattle that die in tine
corniields are not affected with impac-
tion of the stomach and that the cause
of death Is some kind of brain or ner-
yous affection. The theory was brought
for2vrdtineKsns sone years NJ rS rfGs'',,
in exceedingly Try years and on rich
land, cornstalks contained enough salt
peter to kill cattle. There is not much
reason to doubt that in very rare cases
this is true, yet the conditions under
which they could occur are so rare it is
scarcely worth being considered. When
in Nebraska attending institute last
year, we learned from the veterinarian
of the experiment station that a number
of deaths had occurred in certain sec
tion of that state from poisonous plants
which grew up during wet fall in the
corntield. In fact, this specific poison,
of what is commonly known in Iowa as
wild parsnip, but which is really water
hemlock or nightshade, may be the real
cause This is a matter which the
farmers may investigate for themselves
and it seems more reasonable, because in
no single case of which we have ever
heard has any of these bad effects fol-
lowed from feeding corn fodder. In
| one section of Nebraska both horses
and cattle died from feeding on mouldy
corn, which was very common last year
in that section. We saw, when at the
Nebraska station, three hogs which had
been fed on the mouldy corn alone and
shipped in for the purpose, which show
ed all the.etfects of ergot, such as the
dropping of the hair and the hoofs. 1t
convinced us that there was certain
kind of mould in that section which had
all the effects of ergot. Horses fed on
this mouldy corn which had been gath
cred out of fields died as did cattle
which were pastured in the fields from
which the mouldy corn had not been
gathered. 1t is indicated, therefore, that
there are three or four diseases which
pass under the name of cornstalk dis
eases. There is still another remark
able thing. In some sections it is un-
heard of: fos example, we have pastured
| q good many in cornlields for twenty
; years. Twenty years ago we lost few
when kept in large herds, evidently as
5 a result of a lack of salt and water
Since that no case has been reported to
3 us. We have heard of neighborhoods
r wherein cattle pastured in one field
!, would die, while adjoining fields coult
r be pastured with impnnity. The onl!
0 advice, therefore, we can give our cor
: respondent is to keep his cattle out o
s the cornstalks.