Show OAK LEAF DIET KILLS CATTLE IN SOUTHWEST the stockmen stoc kmen grazing their cattle on the national forests in the southwest especially in colorado and new mexico have suffered serious losses during the present summer through the cattle eating oak leaves in that section of tile the country the season has be been en usually try irry ai and ad grass extremely scarce to eke out the scanty forage supply tile cattle have brow browsed d heavily on the scrub oak which covers large portions ol of the range ordinarily the stock does not browse much on the oak and the little they do get taken with the other tood food Is not injurious but when as s in the present season the oak browse furnishes a large por portion jr t the daily food ot of the cattle the results are serious the oak leaves and sprouts contain a large percentage ot of tannic acid the action of this acid on the sto stomach M Is extremely injurious and the losses have been unusually severe the symptoms oft he disease are staring eyes feverish and blistered lips and nose the animal ceases to graze or seek tor for food standing in one place for hours at a time the coat becomes rough and the hair is all t turned the wrong way as in cases of loco poisoning the animal does not chew its cud and in a comparatively short time becomes too weak to remain on its feet a and nd death rapidly I 1 follows so tar far as is known the only available remedy for this trouble is linseed oll oil given as a drench in amounts from one to two quarts the oil appears to overcome the injurious effects of the tannic acid and it if the disease la Is not too tar far advanced and the animal can be furnished sufficient food so it will not be forced to eat the oak it will generally recover the best method of course in handling the trouble is it if possible to get the eattle cattle away from the range where the oak is found and furnish them with plenty of fresh green feed to build up again |