570 FIELD 'AND GARDEN PRODUCTS 



finely divided, long-stemmed leaves, and a single column of showy 

 blue flowers, which appear at any time between April and July. 

 This species is found native on hillsides from the vicinity of San 

 Francisco to British Columbia and eastward as far as South Dakota. 

 In Montana it is very common throughout the State. The percentage 

 of fatal cases in cattle which have eaten this and other larkspurs is 

 said to be small. A rough estimate by a cattleman places it at about 

 20 per cent for one species of the group, when the animals are not 

 properly treated, and 5 per cent otherwise. This is probably a low 

 estimate, however, for in a case of poisoning from D. menziesii that 

 occurred in Montana in May, 1897, nearly 600 sheep were affected, 

 250 of which died. It is an excellent precaution to allow animals in 

 pastures containing larkspur only when well fed, and then only for 

 short periods, until they become thoroughly familiar with the dele- 

 terious nature of the plants. 



Black Cherry (Prunus serotina}. Wild black cherry; wild 

 cherry ; rum cherry ; whisky cherry. A valuable forest tree, 60 to 80 

 feet high. The fruit is rather agreeable, being but slightly bitter and 

 astringent in taste. In some localities it is much used to flavor liquor. 

 Poisoning is frequently caused in cattle by eating the wilted leaves 

 from branches thrown carelessly within their reach or ignorantly 

 offered as food. Children occasionally die from eating the kernels of 

 the seed or from swallowing the fruit whole. 



The prominent symptoms of black-cherry poisoning observed 

 in cattle are labored breathing, diminished pulse, numbness, protrud- 

 ing eyeballs, convulsions, and death from paralysis of the lungs. In 

 some cases there is considerable frothing at the mouth; in all there 

 is a very perceptible odor of prussic acid in the breath. The freshly 

 cut branches of the trees should in no case be thrown where cattle 

 can get at them. 



Woolly Loco Weed (Astragalus mollissimus). Loco weed; 

 crazy weed. A silvery-white, silky-leaved perennial 8 to 12 inches 

 high, with an abundance of soft foliage springing out in a cluster 

 from a short central stem close to the ground. The flowers are pea- 

 shaped and usually purple. The pod is distinctly two-celled. This 

 plant is native to the Great Plains region, extending from western 

 Texas and New Mexico northward to South Dakota and Wyoming, 

 being most abundant in Colorado and in the western part of Ne- 

 braska and Kansas. It grows both on the open prairie and on rocky 

 hillsides. Horses, cattle, and sheep are affected by loco, but the 

 principal damage is done to horses. The effect is not acute, but in its 

 slow progress simulates diseases caused by bacteria and worms. Two 

 stages are recognized. The first, which may last several months, is a 

 period of hallucination or mania accompanied by defective eyesight, 

 during which the animal may perform all sorts of antics. After ac- 

 quiring a taste for the plant it refuses every other kind of food, and 

 the second stage is ushered in. This is a lingering period of emacia- 

 tion, characterized by sunken eyeballs, lusterless hair, and feeble 

 movements. The animal dies as if from starvation, in periods rang- 

 ing from a few months to one or two years. The damage done to 



