ACORN-POISONING. 
141 
cases of the disease occurred on Hadley Common, near 
Barnet, although the place is well covered with oak trees, and' 
plenty of cattle are turned out to graze there during the acorn 
season. The solution of this problem was furnished to us 
by the curator, to whom we applied for information respect- 
ing the customs of the locality. It appears that no restriction 
is put upon the collection of acorns by the people, and Ave 
were informed that “ a hundred pickers or more would be 
often at work at one time on the common.” 
So long as permission is given, even though it may be 
tacitly, to persons to collect gratuitously acorns, which are 
worth something over a shilling a bushel, there is very little 
risk of animals pastured on the common getting poisonous 
quantities of them. 
The ex-curator, whose recollection of the locality goes very 
far back, did not remember any illness which was traced to 
the consumption of acorns by cattle, although he well recol- 
lected the cows collecting nightly under his windows, near 
which oak and chestnut trees were thickly planted, waiting 
for the fall of the coveted fruit, and keeping him awake with 
their lowing. Probably the animals were instinctively aware 
that the night was the only time when they could hope to 
taste the provender on which busy hands would be at work 
with the early morning. 
Picking up acorns as quickly as possible, especially in the 
early part of the season, is one very efficient measure of pre- 
vention ; but as high winds may prevail during the night, and 
some of the animals get too many of the fallen acorns in their 
unripe state, it is also advisable to keep young stock off the 
pastures at night, or to supply them with a good evening- 
meal of other food. 
In dry seasons, when the herbage is very scarce, and acorns 
are abundant, it is obvious that extra care must be taken to 
guard against the danger ; but in an ordinary season, when 
the grass is plentiful, there is but little risk while the stock 
take the acorns mixed with the more succulent food. 
Practical difficulties will arise in certain localities in car- 
rying out these suggestions ; for instance, in one park which 
we visited it was found impossible to keep the quantity of 
acorns within reasonable limits, although pickers were em- 
ployed daily at 9 d. per bushel to collect them. In such a case 
the proper course would be to give the animals bran, pulped 
roots, oilcake, or other food which would render them less 
inclined to eat too freely of acorns, and would, besides, 
modify the effects of those which they consumed. 
When acorns were mixed with bran during the last autumn 
11 
XLIV. 
