The Elbert County tribune., 1906-05-17
POISONOUS WEEDS
Results Of Work Done Last Year Near
Huso-conclusions and
Suggestions.

tut Solorduo AsIicuturdl EXpellr
ment Station.)
Satisfactory arrangements were
made in April for two pastures. one
half mile south OF Hugo, In which to
carry on the work during the season,
| We were especially fortunate in secur-
ing these pastures in such close prox-
| Unity to the railroad and good town.
and further In this respect. the one be-
ing by few hours work, made entirely
free from loco weeds and furnishing
most excellent pasture on the creek
bottom. The other. adjoining 1t was as
| badly infested with white loco as any
we had seen, and purple loco was in
| abundance. On the ranch was cot
,tage which conveniently furnished DIR.
Marsh with living rooms and labora-
sory. On May 5th. the last of the live
stock was shipped to Hugo.
| Six yearlings and six two-year-old
steers were purchased at the stock
yards in Denver. they having come
from the vicinity of Greeley and raised
on farms free from loco weeds.
L. Seven horses were also purchased at
the stock yards and came from n non
locoed district in Utah. Eight horses
were secured at Fort Collins, seven
coming from pasture four miles
west of town and one from a pasture
south of town. These animals were all
with the exception of the one from south
of Fort Collins, IN very poor condition.
The horses and cattle, upon arrival
| at Hugo, were divided as nearly equally
as possible into two lots. Six steers
(three yearlings and three two-year-
olds) with seven horses Zone having
died) were placed in the locoed pas
ture, and the remainder in the mons
locoed pasture to serve as a check.
The animals that were placed In the
pasture free from loco weeds have con-
tinued to thrive throughout the season,
and are in good condition now. Disease
and misfortune have been the lot of
the others until now they are all gone.
This, it seems, is the experience OF
ranchers who try raising cattle, horses
or sheep and use ranges infested with
the loco weed. They do not all be-
come locoed but succumb to different
maladies. which animals in a thriving
condition would otherwise easily es-
cape.
AS the investigation is not com
pleted. do not feel warranted In draw
ing any conclusions or expressing my
opinion regarding the probable out
come of any phase of the loco problem.
The work has progressed much
more satisfactorily than we had hoped
for. IL has unfolded new facts and CON
ditions at every step which have been
wrought with great interest. and we
feel encouraged that In the end, at
least, some of the hidden mysteries
surrounding this perplexing problem
may be unraveled.
!. The results of the investigations so
, far have attracted our attention to the
, following:
Il; l. Locoism is a specific condition
= and is associated with at least one spe
, cies of plant. Astragallus mollisimus
II. 2. Horses and cattle prefer grass
, and eat but sparingly of the weed as
long as grass can be had in quantity to
satisfy hunger.
H.; 3. The white loco plant has an ex'
,tremely low nutritive value.
Il, 4. There are no uniform pathogenic
: LESSONS, post morten or anti-mortem.
5. Parasites are found in no greater
quantity than in other emaciated ami
!, mails. No unusual parasite has been
. found and no one parasite Is uni
, ,formly present.
6. The theories as to clot Of blood
or serum In the fourth ventricle OF the
brain; sand in the stomach; an excess
! of aracnoid fluid, have no foundation
In fact. according to the results OF au
dopsies held up to date.
Z. / believe a qualitative chemical
analysis of the plant and Of the con
, tents of the stomach containing loco
; weeds is OF the greatest Importance.
s. There Is no evidence as yet thai
. stock will eat of loco weeds when grass
/, is plentiful.
8. Several parasites live upon the
|. loco weeds and in some places have de
vastated large areas of the plant.
, TO- Considering the immense loss tt
. the live stock industry from the raw
: ages of these plants the economic pos
!, sibility OF exterminating them by the
grubbing hoe is worthy Of serious con
Sideration.
4 There can be no question but tina
several species Of larkspur growing ma
!. tive in the mountainous districts o
: Colorado are a greater source OF loss u
the stockmen than all other weeds com
. 'bined, loco weeds alone excepted.
1t has been estimated by DR.. E.
Wilcox OF Montana that the loss from
poisonous plants in that state II
;. greater than from all other causes ant
a diseases taken together and not IA
from 100000 annually.
i In Colorado we have at present NJ
|, statistics whereby we can estimate Will
:. any degree of accuracy the aggregat'
/ mortality. Judging, however. from thu
i loss reported in other states and re
! ports received at this Office from mos
i every section of this state, feel conf
4 dent that $4,000 from larkspur alon
i. is a conservative estimate.
a There are four species Of larkspu
! found growing abundantly in the mid
die and western part of the state an
! one found growing sparingly in tn
eastern section.
The several conclusions arrived a
with reference to larkspur are as TO