CHAPTER XXIV. 



POISONOUS 



PLANTS 



POISONOUS PLANTS OF THE WEST. 



Poisonous plants occur locally, and when they are 

 found our domesticated animals have no more sense 

 than to eat them. 



Poison weeds are sometimes a serious prob- 

 lem with the western stockman, and almost all 

 the trouble is caused by about six different spe- 

 cies of plants. Every stockman should at least 

 be able to identify these plants in order that he 

 may become familiar with them and take some 

 measure to avoid them. 



LOCO WEED There are several species of loco weed, but 



two, the white and purple loco, are known to be 

 the chief offenders. The U. S. Department of 

 Agriculture, in conjunction with the Colorado 

 Experiment Station, has been investigating the 

 loco problem the last four years. They report 

 that the poison in the weed is the inorganic sub- 

 stance, barium. Up to the present time an effect- 

 ive remedy or an antidote has not been deter- 

 mined. Loco leaves its impress upon the nerv- 

 ous sytem to such an extent that altho the ani- 

 mal seems to have fully recovered from its effects 

 it may break out at any time. A locoed horse 

 may not show that he is diseased, unless he is 



