In article ,
judith writes:
|
| A really good, balanced source of information on the pros and cons of
| ragwort is the Natural England/English Nature information note,
| primarily aimed at farmers and land managers but very useful to anyone
| interested.
| http://tinyurl.com/26kwaw

Not really. It's better, but still biassed.

| Which contains the following:
|
| Many grazing animals are at risk from the toxic effects of consuming
| ragwort by grazing the plant and consuming it in forage. Horses are
| especially susceptible. Cattle, sheep, goats and pigs, especially of
| adapted breeds, will avoid eating ragwort when it is growing but are
| more at risk when plants are wilted or dying. Signs of ragwort
| poisoning may be slow to develop and may not become apparent for
| several days, weeks or months. Signs may appear after consumption of
| the plant has ceased. Poisoning can develop quickly and animals can
| die within a few days of showing clinical symptoms. Liver damage is
| irreversible and there is no effective treatment

It fails to point out that is a significant issue only for ragwort
growing in hay fields, when the hay is cut, ragwort and all; or that
exactly the same is true of MANY other common grassland and hedgerow
plants. It ALSO fails to point out that, as with thistles and many
such obtrusive and persistent weeds of grassland, it is the increased
use of land for grazing horses alone that is a major cause of the
problem.

I remember precisely the same being said about yew 40 years ago as is
said about ragwort today - and, then as now, it was the horsey people
who were being most irrational and hysterical.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.