CORNSTALK DISEASE. 49 



fast in their wool and work themselves into the flesh. 

 Long-haired shepherd dogs are also troubled in a similar 

 way, and when people walk through the grass the fruits 

 stick in their clothes and cause discomfort. If eaten by 

 stock they work into the tissues of the mouth and throat 

 and have even been known to perforate the walls of the 

 stomach and intestine. 



The plant is found from Manitoba to British Columbia 

 and southward to Mexico. It is perennial, with stems 

 Th Pi- nt three to five feet tall, and with long, narrow 

 leaves. The narrow panicles are four to 

 twelve inches in length, twisted below and often bent 

 sharply- The base of the dark brown fruit is sharply 

 pointed and densely covered with hairs. 



NEEDLE GRASS Stipa comata Trin., 



is a close relative of Porcupine Grass and is quite often 

 found in prairie hay. Its fruits produce the same effect, 

 though to a somewhat less degree. If cut after the fruit 

 has fallen it forms good hay. 



CORNSTALK DISEASE. 



In parts of the United States, and to a lesser degree in 

 Canada, it is customary to gather the ears from the corn- 

 field, leaving the stalks standing. Cornstalk disease in 

 certain of such neighbourhoods causes the death of num- 

 bers of the cattle allowed to pasture on these stalks. 



Alway and Peters investigated this disease in Ne- 

 braska. They obtained statements from 404 people in 

 one county who had lost cattle to the number of 1,531 dur- 

 ing the seasons of 1906 and 1907,. Their information 

 indicated that by far the greater number of deaths occur 

 during the first month of pasturing, and more than one- 



