BOTANY 



The rainfall for the State as a whole was quite up to the aver- 

 age for the year ending June 30, 1917. As is usual there was a 

 deficiency in some grazing districts. The summer rains for the 

 year 1916 were somewhat above the average and were quite contin- 

 uous from July to the middle of October. The longest period with- 

 out perceptible rainfall extended from the middle of October to the 

 latter part of December. The winter rains began late in December 

 and were intermittent and considerably below the average. The 

 heaviest winter rainfall took place in January, while the period 

 from February to April was generally dry. This, together with the 

 prevailing low temperatures, reduced greatly the growth on the 

 desert and bunch grass lands. The perennial grasses did not begin 

 growth in the Sulphur Spring Valley, or in the country about the 

 Santa Rita Mountains, the Empire Ranch or Oracle until early in 

 April, and there was almost no annual grov^^th. This resulted in a 

 sliortage of spring feed on most of the ranges in southern Arizona. 



LOSSES OF STOCK FROM POISON PLANTS 



Some of the earlier growing poison plants as larkspurs and 

 certain of the locos were making vigorous growth on the grazing 

 ranges as early as February and March. This condition was very 

 noticeable on the ranges about Willcox and Cochise in the Sulphur 

 Spring \"alley. Dragoon Summit, the Empire Ranch and also Ora- 

 cle, Arizona. This was fully a month in advance of any consider- 

 able growth of the perennial grasses or annual growth. As is well 

 known, grazing animals will not eat poison plants, normally, in the 

 presence of good feed, but during famine periods they eat almost 

 any sort of plant growth that contains succulence or nutriment. 

 Accordingly, losses were heavier than usual from starvation and 

 plant poisoning. Three species of larkspur and at least eight spe- 

 cies of loco weeds occur in more or less abundance on the ranges 

 in southern Arizona. Frequently these are met with only occa- 

 sionally, but on closely grazed ranges it is possible for hungry 

 animals to eat enough of these to result fatally. Locoed animals 

 have been reported fn^ii many parts of the State. 



On the Navajo Indian Reservation in northern Arizona, sheep, 

 in particular, were poisoned in considerable numbers from eating 



