The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1902-1905, 1903-01-09

war department. takes a differen
view of the matter, is apparent, fO
the spraying process has been re
sumed. The inquiry instituted b,
the war department was complete,
Dec. 24th, and on that day repor
was made to the chief of engineer
| u. S. Army, Washington. The re
port on which the department ha
decided to resume work is as follows
TCopy
U. $. Engineers Office,
st. Augustine, Fla, Dec. "A, 1902.
Brig Gen. G. L. Gillespie, Chief of Engineer
of U. S. Army, Washington, d. c..
General have the honor to sub
NIT the following report on the al
legged poisoning of cattle by the Har
vesta compound for destroying watel
hyacinths.
The compound contains arsenic
acid in such proportion that one gal.
Ion of the liquid Cor spraying con
tains about 40 grains of arsenic acid
One gallon of liquid is enough to spray
about II square yards of hYacimths
certainly not less than 10. If a COW
should eat | square yard of sprayed
hyacinths she would get fourteen
grains of arsenic acid supposing that
no liquid ran off into the water. | an
informed that 250 grains is a med
icinal dose for a horse, and | do not
believe that fourteen grains would
be likely to njure COW. But even
if it would, she could not possibly
eat that much at once. Moreover
cattle do not like the sprayed hya-
cinth, which probably has IL dIsa-
greeable taste. 1t cannot be said
that they never eat it, but they take
it only sparingly. Tho few animals
that have been known to eat the
sprayed plant have been subsequent
ly watched, and no ill results have
been noticed.
There is II possibility that the
dead hyacinth, without the COM
reported from Louisiana that if cat
tie eat the wild peavine, killed by
frost, they are likely to die. The
like is reported of the peavine and
sweet potato vine in Florida. 1t
may be that the dead hyacinth also
is injurious. After the frost of 1896
there were a great many dead hya-
cinthS, and a number of cattle sub
sequently died; but this may have
been from some other cause
1t has been.suggested that drink
ing the river water after spraying
has caused the sickness. The dilu-
tion is so great that do not think
this possible. There is abundant
evidence that the fish are not poi
SOned
Work of spraying hyacinths has
been carried on at Black Greek and
at Rice Greek. The deaths of cattle
all occurred at Rice Creek Mr., F.
w. Bruce, superintendent, made a
thorough examination, and reported
about twenty cases. The work at
Black Greek was done in just the
same way as at Rice Creek, the cat
tie there had access to the hyaciDths
and seemed to be more numerous
than at Rice Greek; but they re-
manned quite healthy. This seems
to be certain, and i think it has
great weight
The hyacinth is good food for cat
tie, and was introduced by stock
raisers into many localities. Own
'ers of stock are therefore strongly
opposed to its determination.
Mr.. Bruce, in his report, speaks as
follows:
sin giving due weight to the evil
dence obtaiEable it might be well to
take into account the fact that the
people along Black Greek seem anX-
ious to have the hyacinth eXtermi-
mated, as their greater interests seem
to depend upon the navigaDility of
the creek, while the people along
Rice Creek would seem to prefer
keeping the hyAcinth for grazing,
they being mostly stock-raisers, with
no use for navigation, except, occa-
sionally, to raft out few logs"
In conclusion | would say that |
do not believe that the cattle in
question have died of arsenical poi
soniRg, and l do not think it proba-
BILE that the hyacinth had anything
to do with the sickness. However,
| have given instructions that crude
petroleum be mixed with the COM
pound. This, it is believed, will
prevent cattle from touching the
sprayed plants. Very respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
FRANCIS II. SKUNK,
Corps of Engineers, U. S.