1885.] 



THE ''LOCO" WEED. 



203 



THE "LOCO" WEED. 



SUCH is the Mexican name for wliat during the last few seasons 

 lias acquired great notoriety amongst the cow-boys of Texas 

 as a prairie weed, inducing an intoxication amongst liorses, with 

 symptoms almost identical to those of the most degraded drunkard 

 of the human race. Horses, when they eat this herb, appear as if 

 afflicted with delirium tremens, stagger in maudlin fashion with red 

 and bloodshot eyes, live only a short miserable existence, browsing 



only on this "crazy" weed. A Ilanche-man lately thus lost 100 

 animals out of a flock of 160 ; and though cattle are not seriously 

 affected by this floral plague, one company lately lost 400 animals 

 through its effects. " Crazy-weed " has thus become a noted plant 

 in those vast districts, such as the pan handle of Texas, which 

 British capitalists have lately taken into speculative favour. 



The most common of those poisonous plants (there are seven, all 

 belonging to the Lcqmninoscv) is Astragalus ■mol.issimns. Its low- 

 growing pink flowers, and small white downy leaves, give a very 

 pretty appearance to the vast plains wliich it suddenly covers. It 



