University of Arizona 299 



range, and also the most i)ractical means of preventing losses. The 

 greatest interest was shown in the loco weeds which are wide- 

 spread, growing both at low and high altitudes, and affecting all 

 classes of stock ; larkspurs, of which there are several species, all 

 poisonous to cattle but not poisonous to sheep ; pingue, or Colo- 

 rado rubber plant, which grows at rather high altitudes and causes 

 heavy losses among sheep in the spring and fall ; western sneeze- 

 weed, which also is a high mountain plant and causes the spewing 

 sickness in sheep ; and death camas and water hemlock or wild 

 parsnip, which plants are very poisonous to all classes of stock. 

 Water hemlock is spreading in moist canyons in eastern Arizona 

 about Springerville, Eager, Lakeside, Showlow, and Snowflake. 



Information was secured concerning a number of plants that 

 are believed by stockmen to be poisonous, but that heretofore have 

 not been regarded as such. It is planned to continue this work on 

 poison plants during the coming summer and publish the results as 

 a bulletin. On this trip important collections of economic plants 

 were made at various places and opportunity was afforded the 

 writer to study additional types of grazing ranges over the State. 



PUBLICATIONS 



Timely Hint No. 31, "Sanitary Water Supply for the Home," 

 was published in November. This includes a discussion of wells 

 and surface contamination, contamination of water in wells thru 

 seepage, and small storage tanks, and the pollution of water in 

 them. A study of the commoner algae growing in open water tanks 

 in southern Arizona was made. In some instances a layer of these 

 plants six inches deep was found floating in the water. With par- 

 tial decomposition of this material, such water becomes unsanitary, 

 having a bad odor and a brackish taste. Open tanks require clean- 

 ing every month or two in the warmer part of the year. It was 

 found that by covering tanks with wooden tops this plant growth 

 ceased immediately and did not reappear until the tops were re- 

 moved. Copper sulphate treatment with one part copper sulphate 

 to 1,000,000 parts of water was successful, but since this treatment 

 should be repeated every sixty days, it is not recommended for 

 small lots of v/ater that are are changed frequently thru pumping. 



Timely Hint No. 135, "Soapweed or Palmilla (Yucca elata) as 

 Emergency Forage," was published in February. This discusses 

 the distribution and abundance of yucca plants over the State with 

 brief botanical notes, the preparation of yucca forage for stock, and 

 chemical and microscopical analyses of chopped yucca forage. A 



