GRASSES OF IOWA. 227 



on Setaria glauca, and there are many persons who think that 

 this smut is injurious to cattle that feed in corn fields where 

 there is a great deal of this fungus. 



Kedsie reports the following composition; Moisture, 8.30 

 per cent; albuminoids, 13 06 per cent; carbohydrates, 25.60 per 

 cent; cellulose, 24.69 per cent; sugar, 4 per cent; fat, 1.35 per 

 cent; ash, much sand, 25.5 per cent. Professor Kedsie was 

 unable to find any poisonous alkalo'ds. In 1868, the United 

 States department of agriculture employed Professor Gamgee* 

 to ascertain the cause of the cornstalk disease. 



Prof. W. A. Henry,! in a recent work says, speaking of 

 work done by the Bureau of Animal Industry, Clinton D. 

 Smith and Gamgee: "In experiments by the Bureau of Ani- 

 mal Industry, U. S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, 

 corn smut was fed to heifers without ill effects. With all the 

 trials but one ending without disaster, it seems reasonable to 

 conclude that corn smut is at least not a virulent poison, if, 

 indeed, it is one in any sense of the word. It is probable that 

 in the Wisconsin cases, where one cow died and the other was 

 indisposed, the animals suffered because of eating too much 

 highly nitrogenous material rather than anything poisonous. 

 Worse results might have followed the feeding of the same 

 volume of corn meal or cotton seed meal. It would seem that 

 there is little or no danger from corn smut unless cattle con- 

 sume a large quantity. This is possible where they are allowed 

 to roam through stock fields and gather what they will. There 

 may be cases where animals seek out the smut and eat inordi- 

 nately of it. " 



Recently Smith J of the Michigan Agricultural College gave 

 the results of some experiments with corn smut. Varying 

 amounts of smut were fed to three grade Shorthorn cows and 

 one grade Jersey. Two of the cows were started with two 

 ounces a day and increased to eleven pounds. Two others 

 were started with two ouQ<ies and increased to a pound. The 

 test lasted forty-nine days. They appeared to relish the smut. 

 It produced no signs of abortion in pregnant CDWS, and the milk 

 yield was normal. Smith concludes that the smut in corn 

 fields is not likely to prove injurious. 



♦Report D. S. Dept. Agr. 1869: 73. 



fFeeds and Feeding. A hand book for student and stockman. 176. 1893. See also 

 Rep. Board of Regents, University of Wis. 1881. 

 *Bull. Mich. Agrl. Exp. Sta. 137. 



