Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1906-10-11
STUDY LOG D WEED.
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
BoTANIsTs AT WORK. AZ
Immense Losses Sustained BY West.
ern Rangers Has induced the Gov
ofnnsnt to Investigate This
Peculiar Plant. ss94 w. 81

lists are making a study OF the loco
weed to ascertain which particular
element In 1t is Injurious to cattle.
The experiments are being made as q
result Of the losses sustained by west
ern rangers through the peculiar dis
ease produced by the plant on their
cattle. Whole herds Of sheep are
known to have become locoed by eat
ing the weed and the resultant loss
to the raisers has been extremely
heavy.
The experiments are unusual and
interesting. A large supply OF the
different species of the plant has been
sent to the department from the states
In which it is found, principally Mon
tana, and is undergoing chemical
analysis in the laboratories Of the boz
tanical division. One form of the ex-
periments is the tests made on live
animals The poison ig extracted from
the weed and fed to rabbit. The eff
feet is similar to that of intoxicants
on human beings. For the next sew
eral hours the rabbit finds itself on
a glorious spree and it's antics are like
those of drunken man. Unable to
keep its balance, and seeing double,
the rabbit finally collapses complete
ly and falls into a stupor, from which
it awakes, maybe, with ali awful head
ache.
So amusing have the antics Of some
of the animals been that photographs
have been taken of them while they
were under the influence of the slim
ulant. One of these pictures shows
locoed rabbit which had been per-
mitted to go on a particularly siren
uous jag. The snap shot shows him
lying on his back with his feet stuck
up in the air. On his face is a fool
ish grin. His half-closed eyes are
bleared. His fur is rufEed and muss-
ed. His mouth is half open. giving
him the appearance of an inebriated
man who is trying to tell story, but
can't make it seem to have any sense.
Altogether the phographs give the Inn
preston Of overindulgence in spirits.
In addition to these tests the de-
partment is making experiments at
In <fact, the latter experiments have
been in progress for several years and
the innovation lies in the introduce
ton of the work in the local labra-
tories. The experiments carried on
here are, however, entirely different
from those made in the west. The
latter consist mainly Of observations
made on various ranches of the effect
Of the weed on animals. b
The loco disease has been gener-
ally known for many years, but in
spite OF unceasing investigation its
cause has never been exactly disclos-
ed. Even now there is some skepti-
cism as to whether 1t is attributable
to the so-called loco weed or to some
other source. a number Of raisers
believe the disease may be produced
In sheep by their eating large guam
titles Of the a1kan soil. On the other
hand, many of the cattlemen hold that
sheep are less apt to become locoed
when regularly sailed than when they
eat large quantities Of alkali, while
the large majority are of the opinion
that there is no connection between
loco and alkali.
Experts in botany believe that the
most reliable observations of the dis
ease indicate that it is the result Of
the animals consuming certain weeds.
The disease assumes either an active
or chronic form. In the active form
the animal lives only few days,
while in the chronic form it may live
for two or three years and manifest
the same symptoms in milder de-
gree. 81 .ss
It has been found that horses and
sheep are the animals which are most
frequently affected by the disease.
Cattle occasionally acquire the habit,
but the cases are comparatively rare.
In certain parts Of Montana the habit
became so widespread some time ago
among horses that the raising OF
Chem was abandoned until the locoed
animals were disposed OF and other
horses which hadn' I acquired the hab.
It were imported.
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