OCR Text |
Show CATTLE POISONING IN WEST Many Animals Killed by Being Turned Into Field of Second Growth or Stunted Sorghum. Again reports are coming in regarding regard-ing the poisoning of cattle on cor-ghum, cor-ghum, says the Colorado experiment station bulletin. Every year this plant takes its fearful toll. Always it is the same story: A bunch of cattle were turned Into a field of second growth or stunted sorghum and most of them died before they could be driven out. So -deadly Is the poison that a few mouthfuls are sufficient to produce death. Yet this same Bor-ghum Bor-ghum is perfectly harmless if cut and allowed to dry. Under conditions where the growth is retarded the plant seems to elaborate elab-orate a glucoside, which when taken into the stomach of cattle produces hydrocyanic or prusslc cld, the most deadly poison known, hence the rapidity rapid-ity with which death ensues. No treatment is known that is of any avail and even though an antidote anti-dote were known there is little or no time In which to use it. It was formerly supposed that only saccharine sorghums were harmful, but now we know that under similar conditions of growth kaffir corn at least Is fatal. If these sorghums must be pastured, pas-tured, it is always safer to turn In only one animal at first to determine the effect before risking the whole herd. |