26 BULLETIN 767, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 
about the middle of April, these cattle were badly constipated, the 
feces as observed being in small, hard, dry lumps. 
It is significant that none of the cattle in this pasture showed 
typical symptoms of shinnery poisoning, though their main diet, 
aside from the hay, was oak. Two or three animals (old cows) were 
at one time suspected of being affected, as their feces became stringy. 
This condition soon passed off, however, and they became normal. 
RESULTS ON CATTLE IN 16-SECTION PASTURE. 
The 16-section pasture lying to the north and northwest of the 
five sections showed practically the same vegetation, excepting that 
some of the oak started a little earlier in. a few places along its eastern 
edge. The western half of this pasture, too, was different in that 
the land was harder and contained no oak. About 400 cattle were 
here. They had all ‘‘rustled” for feed during the winter and were not 
fed hay at any time. 
The grazing habits were exactly the same as those of the cattle 
in the 5-section pasture. They grazed almost entirely in the shin- 
nery hills, eating the oak from the time the buds began to swell 
until late in April, when the oak began to show growth on the flats. 
By the last of April they were working toward the western half of 
the pasture, where they could get some grass and weeds. 
In this pasture seven cattle were seen that showed typical symp- 
toms of ‘‘oak-brush poisoning,” and five were known to have died 
of this trouble. 
Note should be made here of two other pastures which were 
examined from time to time. These are a 12-section pasture to the 
north, and a 40-section pasture to the east, called the Cowden pasture. 
The 12-section pasture was very similar to the 16-section pasture, 
and contained about. 150 cattle. The Cowden pasture was a 
typical shinnery pasture and differed from the others only in having 
a greater abundance of the oak, much of which started growth 
somewhat before that in the other pastures. This was due to the 
great abundance of white sandhills. 
Two typical cases of shinnery poisoning, both of which died, were 
seen in the 12-section pasture and seven cases were observed in the 
Cowden pasture, at least three of which died. Some of the others 
also doubtless died, as they were in bad condition. The size of the 
pasture made it impossible to follow up these cases. It is very 
probable, too, that there were cases which were never seen, in both 
the Cowden and in the 12-section pastures. 
RESULTS ON CATTLE IN OAK-FREE PASTURE. 
Just to the west of the 5-section pasture is a 7-section tract spoken 
of as the hard-land pasture. The sands here are more compact 
and the pasture contains no shinnery. In other respects, it com- 
pares with the other pastures. 
