110 THE PLANT WORLD 



After going into camp one evening in a beautiful park, bordered with 

 spruce and fir, along the crest of the mountain, he was warned by a 

 passing ranchman that the horses were getting sleepj^ grass, and adding that 

 if they got a good feed of it it might be a week before they could get out 

 of there. Not wishing to remain that long but wishing to test the effect, 

 Mr. Bailey permitted the horses to feed for half an hour, then they were 

 picketed out of reach of the grass. The next morning all of the horses 

 showed more or less drowsiness, but one, Old Joe, seemed to have secured 

 more than the others and " was standing on the side hill asleep, his feet 

 braced wide apart, head high in air, both ears and under lip dropped, a 

 most ridiculous picture of profound slumber. At breakfast time the others 

 woke up to a keen interest in their oats, but Old Joe, after being dragged 

 to camp, much against his will, preferred to sleep rather than eat, and 

 after pulling back on his rope all the way down to the spring refused to 

 drink or even lower his head." Although the horses were gotten under 

 way they manifested evidences of stupor and could only be induced to 

 move by repeated urging with whip and spur. ' ' The stupor lasted about 

 three days, and was too evident and unusual to be attributed to weariness 

 or natural indisposition. We were making easy trips and the horses were 

 in good condition. After it wore off they showed their usual spirit and 

 energy, as well as appetite. The only after-effect was a gaunt appear- 

 ance, apparently resulting from lack of energy to get their usual amount 

 of grass." 



It appears from Mr. Bailey's inquiries that horses coming up from 

 the valley will always eat freely of this grass, and the resulting stupor 

 may last for a week or ten days, but they will never touch the grass a 

 second time. Horses and cattle familiar with the range carefully avoid 

 this grass, perhaps having learned from experience of its somnolent effects. 

 The sleep-inducing properties appear to reside in the leaves, but just what it 

 is is not known, although it has been suggested that it is allied to opium. 



WEEDS. 



It is difficult to define a weed. The dictionaries tell us it is a useless 

 plant, but the utility of any species depends on its special environments. 

 A plant which in one country may be of extreme value, is in another a 

 pest and nuisance. 



We may characterize as a weed any plant whatsoever that grows where 

 it is not wanted. Thus, the white-weed or ox-eye daisy is, in the East- 

 ern States, a most unquestioned weed. But a thing of such beauty is 

 sure to have admirers, and every one does admire the daisy, so that in 

 regions where it is not so prolific we find it cherished as a garden flower. 

 Again, what can be said of the Rudbeckia, or cone-flower, that glorious 



