BOOTS, TUBERS, AND MISCELLANEOUS FOEAGES 255 



brought about by eating certain legumes, known as "loco weeds/* This 

 form of poisoning has caused losses estimated at a million dollars in a 

 single western state in one year. "Locoed" animals have a deranged 

 nervous system and an uncertain and staggering gait. Horses which 

 were formerly gentle become uncontrollable and shy violently at imagin- 

 ary objects or leap high over some slight obstruction. Many animals 

 acquire such a liking for the plants that they will eat nothing else. 

 Eventually animals seriously affected, starve to death. Marsh of the 

 United States Department of Agriculture 43 states that the most important 

 point in handling animals upon a range where there are loco weeds is 

 to see that they have an abundance of good feed. Then they will not 

 usually start eating the loco plants. When the first symptoms of loco 

 poisoning are observed, it is essential to remove the animals to a place 

 where they can not get the plants. A good plan is to put them on alfalfa 

 pasture, if any is available. All locoed animals are constipated and the 

 alfalfa has a tendency to relieve this condition. 



401. Castor bean. The castor bean and the pomace remaining after 

 the oil has been extracted contain a deadly poison. Castor beans or 

 pomace accidentally getting into feeding stuffs sometimes cause myste- 

 rious deaths. Carnican 44 reports that exposing castor oil cake to the 

 air for 5 or 6 days or cooking the seeds or cake for 2 hours destroys the 

 poison. 



402. Larkspurs. Several species of larkspur, which cause serious losses 

 of cattle that graze on them, are found upon the western ranges. Sheep 

 eat the larkspurs without evil effects and horses generally leave the 

 plants alone. The first symptom of larkspur poisoning usually noticed on 

 the range is the sudden falling of the animal, accompanied by violent 

 struggles. After a few minutes the animal may rise and walk away, 

 without showing further effects. In serious cases the first fall is followed 

 by a second, and that by a succession of falls. Eventually complete 

 prostration, vomiting, and death occur. 



403. Miscellaneous poisonous plants. -The common horsetail, water 

 hemlock, poison hemlock, death camas, lupines, wild parsnip, cockle bur, 

 woody aster, and many other plants are more or less poisonous to farm 

 animals. As Marsh 45 points out, stock seldom eat poisonous plants by 

 choice, but only when induced or compelled by the scarcity of other 

 feed. When the grazing is short, animals should therefore be kept away 

 from spots definitely known to be infested with such plants. In moving 

 herds or flocks on the range special precautions should be taken when it 

 is necessary to pass over a trail that has been used by many others, for 

 all good feed will have been consumed, and the stock will eat whatever 

 is left. 



U. S. D. A. Dept. Bui. 575; Fanners' Bui. 1054. 



"Ann. Soc. Agr., Lyon, 1887. 



"U. S. Dept. Agr., Farmers' Buls. 536, 720. 



