The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1901-02-27

Out in Nebraska they have Jast dis
covered" that corn stalk disease Ii. due
to the eating Of corn smut by cattle
going ID 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. n fact cat
tie have. when SO fed, shown a liking
for smut and seemed to do well on IL
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 corn smut was the
cause Of the disease, make a new plea,
however. for they say that smut ls
"ergotism" OF the corn 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
soned by ergot. In the latter disease
there is gangrene Of the tissues and
separation Of the ligaments, especially
above the ankle joints. SO that there
may be q ring Of flesh sloughed on az
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 10 the
passages and often blood-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. It has been shown in In
dia that there exists a condition Of the
stalks Of corn where the joints contain
saltpeter in such large quantities that
poisoning may ensue from the con-
sumption Of stalks so lmpregnated. and
this condition OF corn stalks might we'll
exist here also. for It is said to follow
the premature drying up OF corn
around wet places. where cut worms
or other insects have killed the plant
or where it has died out as a result
OF the presence OF alkalies In the soil,
Il would be well 10 examine some or
the stalks from the fields where the
disease has prevailed and see If there
be not something OF the same sort
wrong with the stalks. Certain It Is
that where corn Is cut and shocked In
proper season there is no trouble from
feeding the fodder to cattle We do not
hear Of the disease where cattle are
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 sur
fer from impactIon and at the same
N-A"N AANANAt NtAAAN NAAAA ANA AA- "a NAN VAS
ease which Is characterized by toxic
poisoning. hence the way to prevent
the cattle from disease IN fall and
early winter IS 10 manage them prop
erly By allowing them 70 90 but a few
hours in the stalk fields daily and az
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 adj
yocating the feeding OF cattle upon
smutty corn II It can be avoided. but
we do believe that the disease viii dis
appear where cattle are managed as we
have suggested. and without regard to
the presence OF absence of corn smut
from the stalk fields n win Be better
stin when the wastcful plan or pas
turing corn fields instead OF cutting
them for fodder Is done away with
throughout the country