176 Feeds and Feeding. 



The first trial reported is that by Gamgee, * in which forty-two 

 pounds of corn smut were fed to two cows without ill effects. 



At the Wisconsin University 2 the writer conducted a smut- 

 feeding experiment with two milch cows in the following manner: 

 Clean smut was fed with bran, only a few ounces being daily given 

 at first, the allowance being increased as rapidly as the cows 

 would consume it. When the quantity fed reached thirty-two 

 ounces daily for each cow, one of them refused to eat the feed con- 

 taining the smut, and the experiment with her was closed. The 

 other cow seemed greedy for this substance, and the allowance 

 was increased until sixty-four ounces, an amount which filled a 

 peck measure, was fed. For a time the cow seemed to thrive on 

 the smut and was growing fat, but was suddenly taken sick and 

 died within a few hours after the trouble was first observed. A 

 post-mortem examination revealed no certain cause of the fatality. 



At the Michigan Station 3 Smith fed corn smut to four cows, the 

 maximum daily allowance reaching eleven pounds of fairly well 

 cleaned smut per cow. Ten pounds of such smut filled a half 

 bushel measure. When eating eleven pounds of smut daily, one 

 cow showed indisposition for a time, but soon returned to normal 

 health. 



In experiments by the Bureau of Animal Industry, 4 TL S. De- 

 partment of Agriculture, Washington, corn smut was fed to heifers 

 without ill effects. With all the trials but one ending with- 

 out 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 and Michigan 

 cases, where one cow died and the other was indisposed, the ani- 

 mals 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 consume a large quantity. This is 

 possible where they are allowed to roam through stalk fields and 



1 Kept. Diseases of Cattle, U. S. Dept. of Agr., Washington, 1871. 



2 Rept. Bd. Regents, 1881. 

 s Bui. 137. 



* Bui. 10. 



