The La Jara chronicle., 1907-06-14
as in the lack of harmony il
sounds.
Poisonous Plants.

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difficulties with which the ranch
men have to contend, is that OF
poisonous plants, 1t is roughly
estimated that the annual loss in
this state, from four or five species
of these weeds. amounts to some
thing like 100000. In the east
ern part of the state. it is largely
a loco weed proposition. In the
mountainous districts, it is Lark
spur, Camas, Parsnip and Monk S
hood. There are few others
that cause an occasional loss. but
it is presumed that the species
mentioned are responsible for 80
per cent. of it. In the category of
plant species. from the largest
tree down to bacteria. we find GER
tain species that secrete deadly
poison. OF the largest species, the
leaves of the Wild Oak, the with
cred leaves of certain. species of
Wild Cherry and the Laurel, may
be mentioned as examples.
OF the smaller plants. we have
the seeds of the Lupin, the Night
shades. the Hemlock. the Cow
Cowkle, the False Helleboro. Ac-
onite and many more. A little
lower in the scale we have the
fun 81. the deadly amanite.
At the bottom of the scale comes
bacteria, in which there are innum-
erable species that secrete their
deadly toxins. Ptomain poisoning
is caused from the toxins secreted
in meats and vegetables: in this
instance, while the cooking of the
food destroys the bacteria, 1t does
net destroy their injurious prod
uct which are secreted before
cooking. 1t is the secretion of the
germ in the case of diphtheria that
causes paralysis. In tetanus, it is
the products of the germ which
effect the nerve centers, producing
the fentanic spasms of the mus
cles. In tuberculosis, the toxin
secreted by the germs is account
ole for the extreme weakness and
for the hectic flush on the cheek.
In blood poisoning, resulting
often from the slightest wound, it
is the product of the germ poison
ing the system, and not the germs
themselves, which produce the fe-
yer, the local swelling and other
dangerous symptoms. The prod
ucts secreted by the germs are in
nature similar to the active prin-
ciple found in plants higher up in
TIE vegetable kingdom. They are
the most deadly poison known.
! DIR. Geo. III. Glover, veterinar-
ian and bacteriologist at the Colo
RADIO Agricultural college, has just
returned from locality on the
western slope, where twenty four
hoad of cattle died from eating
Camas. Reports of losses from
different poisonous plants are fire.
quently sent in from various parts
of the state. 1t is, indeed, II ser
ious problem. These plants can
not be eradicated, as they cover
too large an area. There are ii
few instances, however, in the case
of Monks Hood and Camas especi-
ally, which grow in certain areas
where it has been possible and
profitable to dig them up; but in
the case of our two worst range
enemies, the loco weed and the
Larkspur, this is entirely imprac-
ticable, and well-nigh impossible.
Again it is almost useless to
talk about antidotes and remedies
as most of this poisoning occurs
when live stock are unattended,
miles from the ranch, alone in their
death agony. Many ranges, 9th
erwise valuable, have been aban-
doned and the owner has become
bankrupt on account of the ranges
being infested with Larkspur or