The Ordway new era., 1906-05-18
POISONOUS WEEDS
Results es Work Done last Wear Near
hupe-ceneiuslens s0d
Suggestions.

| hupe-cenelusle0 snd
/ sveasstlens.
I(By George H. Glover. Veterinarian Of
the Colorado Agricultural Experi'
ment Statiop)
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 securi
Ing theDe 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 A.
badly infested with white loco as any
we had seen. and purple loco was In
abundance. On the ranch was n cot,
,tage which conveniently furnished DIR.
Marsh with living rooms and labora,
'eory. On May 9th. the last Of the live
stock was shipped TO Hugo.
Six yearlings and six .two-year-olo
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.
Seven horses were also purchased ut
the stock yards and came from q nom
locoed district in Utah. Eight horses
were secured at Fort Collins, seven
coming from a 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
uhree yearlings and three two-year-
olds) with seven horses tone having
died) were placed in the locoed pas
ture, and the remainder in the non
locoed pasture to serve as n check.
The animals that were placed In the
pasture free from loco weeds have con-
tinued 10 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. II 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 q thriving
condition would otherwise easily es-
cape.
As the investigation is not com.
pleted. l 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. II has unfolded new facts and con-
dNions 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:
I. ]. Locoism Is specific condition
and Is associated with mt least one spe-
cies of plant, Astragallus mollisimus.
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.
+; >. The white loco plant has an ex-
,tremely low nutritive value.
. 4. There are no uniform pathogenic
LESSONS. post morten or anttmortem.
/; s. Parasites are found in no greater
quantity than In other emaciated AMI
uleib. NJ uuubuAA putoSitc udb Dcch
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-
topsies held up to date.
z. ! believe q qualitative chemical
analysis Of the plant and Of the con-
tents Of the stomach containing loco
weeds Is Of the greatest importance.
! 8. There is no evidence as yet that
stock will eat Of loco weeds when grass
10 plentiful.
7 8. Several parasites live upon the
loco weeds and in some places have de-
vastated large areas OF the plant.
10. Considering the immense loss to
the live stock industry from the raw
ages Of these plants the economic pos
.sibility Of exterminating them by the
Srubbing hoe is worthy of serious con-
sideration.
There can be no question but that
several species Of larkspur growing na.
tive In the mountainous districts Of
Colorado are greater source of loss to
the stockmen than all other weeds com.
bined, loco weeds alone excepted.
II has been estimated by DIR. e. v.
Wilcox Of Montana that the loss from
poisonous plants In that state IL
greater than from all, other causes and
diseases taken together and not far
from $100,000 annually.
In Colorado we have at present NO
statistics whereby we can estimate with
any degree Of accuracy the aggregate
mortality. Judging, however, from the
loss reported in other states and re.
ports received at this once from most
every section of this state, feel conf
dent that $4,000 from larkspur alone
II conservative estimate.
There are four species Of larkspur