312 COMMON WEEDS 



the refuse from the crushing of the seeds for oil. The 

 same authority says that the residue has more pro- 

 nounced properties than the oil itself. It has been 

 found as an impurity in linseed cake and maize meal 

 {Jour. Roy. Agric. Soc., 1892). 



CONIFERS 



The Yew (Taxus baccata L.) is one of our most 

 poisonous plants, but although the wood, bark, leaves, 

 and seeds are all injurious, the scarlet mucilaginous 

 cup enveloping the ripe seed may be eaten with 

 impunity. The old leaves and shoots are the most 

 poisonous parts, and as they have no noxious flavour, 

 cattle and horses readily eat them. Trimmings which 

 have been carelessly thrown down have also poisoned 

 animals which have eaten them. Stock are perhaps 

 more easily tempted to browse on the dark green foliage 

 in winter, when they get more dry food than usual. 



Many cases of fatal human poisoning by Yew 

 have occurred. In the Journal of the Royal Agricultural 

 Society several cases of poisoning of farm stock are 

 mentioned (a horse in 1885, deer and horses in 1893, 

 shorthorns in 1893). Many instances, however, have 

 been recorded in which no fatal result has followed 

 from eating the leaves, and it appears that the lower 

 branches of Yew trees in parks and grounds are con- 

 stantly cropped by cattle without any ill-effects (Trans. 

 Chem. Soc., 1902 ; Jour. Board Agric., 1903). Some un- 

 certainty exists as to the nature of the toxic principle, 

 but the numerous recorded cases of fatal effects from 

 eating the leaves of the Yew afford sufficient evidence 

 that, under some circumstances, the tree contains an 

 active poisonous principle, which is believed by some 

 authorities to be an alkaloid named Taxine. 



