The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1910-04-15
POISONOUS PLANTS
ON THE FARM.
Fleshy Fungi that are Apt to Be
Mistaken for Edible
Mushrooms.

All poisonous plants are not equal
ly injurious to all persons. nor to ali
forms Of life. For example, take the
action OF poison ivy. Upon animals
It has no apparent external effect
horses mules and goats eating it leaves
with IMMUNITY. Both on the skins of
a majority of persons It acts with var
flying intensity. Some pepole are en-
tirely immune.
There are two fungus plants that
greatly resemble mu hrooms--they are
known as the fly Amauata and the
dea h cup. The latter can be distin-
guished from the common mushroom
by It's wh.-e gi-ls and spores, ard by
It's growing in woods instead Of in mead
ows. Dea;h cup is the most poisonou
of all the fleshy fungi
American false herebore (known az
itch weed is poisonous. the seed be-
! ing especially poisonous TO poultry.
Horses have been known to be poison
cd by eating the leaves; yet sheep
seem TO relish it and eat n with ap-
parent inquiry.
Pokeweed is a well known weed
that has many household uses, but
some chemical or mechanical manipul
ton seems necessary TO prevent i'll
effects when ii is eaaen. The root an
he alcoholic extract of the fruil are
quite commonly used aa a househod
remedy. for the itch and other skin
diseases and for rheumatism.
Corn cookie is generally known as
simply cookie. Is erect SENS and
snowy, violet-red flowers and pods fu'
of black, irregular,y rounded seed are
/ famiie- IN ali grain-gTowing States.
Back cherry, known commonly as
wild cherry, which is sometimes cul-
tivated as an ornamental shade tree.
also has poisonous qualities. The fruit
IS Iarher agreeable, being but slight
ly bitter and as5ringent in taste. II
also used as biIoers, liquor being
poured on the berries in bottles. Po.s-
oning is frequently caused by ca,t.e
ealing the wilted leaves from bra 1ches
thrown cariessly within their reach or
ignorantly offered as food. Children oc-
caslonally die from eating the kernek
Of the seed or from swallowing the
fruit whole.
The wri.er some years ago had quit
heavy loss among his young geese
from eating shoots of wild cherry tree
that sprung up around an old tree thas
was in an inc,osure wheTe The gaese
were kept. AS soon as the cause was
discovered the remaining geese were
changed 10 new quarters, and thelis
were no more deaths. Strange to say
tina. while these green leaves poison
ed the geese, the general poultry seem
I'd immune, chickens not only are the
leaves, but picked up the fallen fruit
with apparently no bad effect.
Rat,lsbox, also known as wi pea is
native in low sandy soils from the
Allan dc we tward to Minnesota and
Earern Kansas. II is common in
COn-cciicut, New jersey and North
Carolina. The poisonous Constituent
Is unknown, but 1t lies both in the
leaves AID the seed Horses and some
times cal:le are killed by GAZING grass
or meadow hay mixed with the plant.
Poison oak, also known as Cadfor-
mia poGson sumac. swamp sumac, thun-
derwood, ec., affects the skin in the
came way as poison ivy, and cases re-
quire tie same remedy.
Laurel leaves (ccmmonly used for
decorative purposes in w.rter) or the
Towering branches are often carelessl
thrown into Enclosures where animals
are KEEP. The older cattle are not 50
frequently killed by IT, but they are
by no means immune. Horses and
even goats have died from eating the
.elves.
Great laurel Is known also as lau-
rel (sOuth Of Pennsylvanta), nose-bay,
mountain laurel, rhododendron, Ameri !
can rose-bay, big laurel pennsylvania
big-leaf laurel (PennsylvaH1a), horse
laurel tPennsylvanla), deer tongue,co
plant (Vermont), spoon hulch New
Hampshire).
Staggerbushy branch ivy .blac nighlt-
shade and bittersweet are other poi
sonous plants mentioned by authori-
ties.
The jlmson weeds are rank, Ill
smelling plants with large funnel-shap
ed flowers and pI1ckly four-valved
seed pods. They are mostly weeds
which have been introduced inHo the
United States from Europe and trop-
zeal America. The present species
is Stout, smooth. buzhy annual TO
5 feet high, with cosnre green stem,
large leaves and white. heavy4scenfed
flowers 2 to inches long. The flow
ers appear from May to September an