Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1907-07-19
HOW SORGHUM KILLS cows.

The following article from the
Chester Lantern by Captain w. H.
Edwards on the subject of cows and
sorghum. is interesting and may be Of
more or less value to people who hap
pen on a situation similar to that de-
scribed:
The idea that sorghum cane contains
poison that will kill cattle was ex-
ploded years ago. 1t is no more pois-
onous than green corn, wheat, oats or
barley. 1t can be fed to cattle safely,
in all stages Of its growth, provided
1t is cut up and mixed with other food
stuff, which Is q common practice on
many cattle farms. The cow when
hungry gathers food in large mouth
fuls, and swallows 1t without mastica-
ton, with the intention Of belching 1t
up and chewing 1t at her leisure. But
unfortunately for her, she cannot
manipulate sorghum this way in ac-
cordance with her habits. 1t has a
very slick leaf, and in her haste to
swallow the leaves as fast as she can
bite them off, they hang in her throat
and she dies from suffocation. II the
cow would masticate the leaves as she
bites them off, as the horse does, sor-
ghum would not hurt her and a mod
crate amount of 1t would be good for
her. A gorge Of any kind Of green
feed by hungry animal is dangerous
and likely to kill by rapid fermenta-
ton. But that Is not why quick death
results to cows from eating sorghum
cane.
Capt. o. A. wylie related to me an
incident that occurred at his fathers
home soon after the late war. A con-
federate soldier by the name Of Smith
was sojourning in the homeland by
the way, he was a good soldier, good
man and a good Methodist preacher
and afterwards married sister OF
Capt. Wylie. One day they were sit
ting on the porch, when a negro came
and told them that the cows were in
the cane patch and lot Of them were
dying. Smith said to Wylie, Let US
go quick; we may be able to save
some Of them" AS they ran through
the woods Smith cut a smooth green
stick three feet long. My recollection
Is that Capt. Wylie said there were
seven cows down. He had one pocket
handkerchief and Smith had two. He
the end of the stick, Capt. Wylie held
up the cows head and Smith would
push the handkerchief down her throat
into her stomach. They used up the
three handkerchiefs, and with a piece
Of shirt saved another. BY that time
the rest Of them were dead. Capt
Wylie said II they had got there a few
minutes sooner they could have saved
every one Of them. The handker-
chief operation gave them immediate
relief. They were simply choking to
death. dying by suffocation.
Smith was an older man than Capt
Wylie and had had some knowledge
and experience in the matter and knew
what to do. l think he was from
Tennessee, but am not sure, after the
lapse Of forty years, what state he
hailed from. He did some good preach
ing in a meeting at El-Bethel Metho-
dist church. and the surviving Con-
federate soldiers of that community
spent many pleasant hours with him.
I served on the board Of visitors OF
Clemson college In 1894-95. / was
there in June 1894, and found them
feeding the milk cows on sorghum cane
that was from thigh to hench high.
They ran 1t through cutting machine.
threw 1t into the feed box and put on
top Of It some cotton seed meal mixed
with shipped stuff They told me that
they fed 1t in all stages Of its growth
and never knew It to hurt cow.