[Some time back attention was directed to the fact that a large number of sheep were perishing in the Wimmera district2 apparently from eating poisonous herbs. Out of one flock of 5400 weaners and wethers belonging to Mr John Forest, butcher, of Horsham, no less than 638 perished. The plant, which was supposed to have occasioned the mortality, was sent to Baron Von Mueller for examination, and he reports that it is a member of a family "among which no real poison plants are on record, though some possess properties."3 The Baron therefore expresses a doubt if it was this plant which occasioned the mortality complained of, and thinks it more likely that the deaths occurred from eating some of the various kinds of Sinaimcono4 which are found in the Wimmera country, and are well-known, being peaflowering with pennate5 leaves. He suggests that the stockowners should experiment with the plant suspected of causing the destruction, and feed some of their sheep upon it, in order to ascertain if its properties are poisonous as they are not so rated by scientists.]
Letter not found. The text given here is from 'The last moment', Herald (Melbourne), 5 February 1885, p. 3. A shorter report in the Age, 6 February 1885, p. 5, states that M reported his findings to the Minister. The local paper gives the butcher's name as John Forrest (Horsham times, 6 February 1885, p. 3).
Vic.
The Age account records that M reported that the plant belongs 'to the tribe designated "everlastings, amongst which no real poisonous specimens are found'.
Almost certainly a misreading of 'Swainsona', a genus which M had previously reported as being harmful to stock; see M to R. Tate, 13 October 1883. The spelling is carried over into a number of other newspapers that reprinted part of this account.
typesetter's error for pinnate?
Please cite as “FVM-85-01-00e,” in Correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller, edited by R.W. Home, Thomas A. Darragh, A.M. Lucas, Sara Maroske, D.M. Sinkora†, J.H. Voigt† and Monika Wells accessed on