The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-02-28
Corn stalk Disease.

covered CQaC corn SCalk disease is
to the eating of corn smut by cattle
going in stalk fields. This is an old
story and a fictitious one as regards
smut, which has been fed to cattle ex-
perimentally in large quantities with
out doing them any harm. In fact cat
tie have, when so fed, shown a liking
for smut and seemed to do well on it
with very few exceptions which were
not shown to be due to the smut. The
writer's we have in mind who have
been claiming that corr smut was the
cause Of the disease, make a new plea,
however, for they say that smut is
"ergotism" Of the cor plant, and that
the disease therefore Is ergotism. This
is erroneous in every particular. Corn
smut is not ergot, and cattle affected
with corn stalk disease do not show the
symptoms of ergotism. 1t is true that
cattle SO affected stagger and show
symptoms of toxic poisoning, but they
do not have the LESSONS OF acute ergot-
ism and do not live long enough to de-
velop the LESSONS shown by cattle poi
oSAO0 NY Oi6Ot. III IAO AoStSA oAoSooO
there is gangrene of the tissues and
separation of the ligaments, especially
above the ankle joints. SO that there
may be a ring of flesh sloughed of at
the place mentioned and exposing the
bone. We do not see this in corn stalk
disease. In this disease we see cattle
become stupid, staggering, feverish,
lacking appetite, having diarrhoea or
constipation and passing blood in the
passages and often bl~ood-colored urine.
1t is evident that there are two forms
OF corn stalk disease, one Of which is
impaction Of the stomach, attended
with cerebral symptoms as a conse-
quence Of the irritation of the stom-
ach; the other, a toxic poisoning OF
the blood by some poison of the food,
either a fungus one, such as was dis
covered and described by Billings OF
Nebraska, and Burrill Of Illinois, or
some poison such as might be found
When food is undergoing decay or fer
mentation. 1t has been shown in In
dia that there exists a condition of the
" SSAh "1lC1O 4S JULIUS VIVA
saltpeter in such large quantities that
poisoning may ensue from the con-
sumption Of stalks so impregnated, and
this condition of corn stalks might well
exist here also, for it is said to follow
the premature drying up of corn
or other insects have killed the plant,
or where it has died out as a result
Of the presence Of alkalies in the soil.
1t would be we'll to examine some Of
the stalks from the fields where the
disease has prevailed and see il there
wrong with the stalks. Certain 1t is
that where corn is cut and shocked IL
proper a there is no trouble from
feeding the fodder to cattle. We do nc
hear of the disease where cattle ar.
yarded for a part of each day and fed
other foods besides corn stalks with an
adequate supply of water and salt. I'm
der these conditions cattle do not suf-
fer from impaction and at the same
time rarely take that form Of the dis
ease which is characterized by toxic
poisoning, hence the way to prevent
the cattle from disease in fall and
early winter is to manage them prop
erly by allowing them to go but a few
hours in the stalk fields daily and at
the same time providing them with
an abundance OF water, salt and good
food other than fodder and corn.
While we do not believe that corn stalk
disease is due to corn smut nor to err
got, we are not to be understood as ad-
vocating the feeding of cattle upon
smutty corn If it can be avoided. but
we do believe that the disease will dis
appear where cattle are managed as we
have suggested, and without regard to
the presence or absence Of corn smut
from the stalk fields. It will be better
still when the wasteful plan of pas
turing corn fields instead of cutting
them for fodder is done away with
throughout the country.