190 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



"Beef and mutton, of a quality suitable for the local market demands, can be pro- 

 duced by feeding alfalfa hay alone. In these tests the addition of grain, though 

 rather high in price, showed the following advantages overfeeding alfalfa hay alone: 

 The return per ton for the alfalfa hay consumed was greater, more rapid gains were 

 made, the feeding period was shorter, and a much better product was secured. 



"The lambs in these experiments gave a greater return per ton for the alfalfa hay 

 fed than did the steers. 



"About one hundred days for lambs and live or six months for steers is a sufficient 

 time in which to fit them for the local markets when fed on alfalfa hay alone. It 

 will require less time when grain is fed with the alfalfa hay. 



"Frequent weighing, because of the unavoidable excitement, is probably not con- 

 ducive to rapid gains with range-grown steers." 



Summer ranges of eastern Nevada sheep, P. B. Kennedy [Nevada Sin. Bui. 

 .•7.5, pp. 53, pis. 31). — The grazing region studied lies in Eureka and Elko counties. 

 Special attention was paid to the plants eaten, injury to plants by grazing and tramp- 

 ling, and methods of handling sheep. The principal forage plants were collected for 

 identification and analysis. 



In the author's opinion "there is plenty of forage for sheep at the present time 

 on the eastern Nevada ranges. 



"Grasses and grass-like plants are eaten to a very small extent by sheep during 

 the summer, while cattle feed almost entirely on grasses. The forage for sheep 

 during the summer consists for the most part of sunflowers, daisies, leaves of different 

 shrubs, and many other plants commonly spoken of as 'weeds.' 



"The plants which appear to have suffered most in this region are those of a 

 shrubby nature, such as the Indian currant or snowberry, wild currants, rosebushes, 

 service berry, and chokecherry. The sheep are responsible for the most part for the 

 total destruction of numerous Indian currant, wild currant, and rosebushes. They 

 eat them extensively during the fall months, feeding on the leaves and tender young 

 shoots until finally the main stems die and a bunch of dry sticks remains. Cattle, 

 however, are exceedingly destructive to the service berry and chokecherry. 



"At the present time many of the ranges are better adapted for the raising of 

 sheep than for cattle. This can be accounted for by the fact that the grasses which 

 were once so abundant have been grazed on to an injurious extent by cattle and have 

 not been allowed to produce seed, while the 'weeds' have been left untouched and 

 have increased. 



"The fact that water is frequently scarce in the late summer months has prevented 

 the ranges from being overstocked by sheep." 



The author discusses the problem of the control of sheep and cattle ranges and the 

 need of studies of the feeding value of forage plants now growing on the ranges with 

 a view to devising measures for restoring those which have been overstocked and 

 keeping them in good condition. 



Some of the plants found on the ranges are commonly regarded as poisonous, one 

 of the principal ones being the poison camas (Zggadenux paniculatm) , which is some- 

 times called poison sego lily or lobelia. So far as the author could learn no serious 

 loss occurs from stock eating this plant in the spring, and he considers it probable 

 that the large number of ewes and lambs lost at this time die from maternal or other 

 causes. 



Cape v. Turkey mohair, S. B. Rollings {Agr. Jour. Cape Good Hope, 24 (1904), 

 No. 5, pp. 561-566, fig*. 4).— In an article quoted from the Midland News a number 

 of different samples of mohair from the Cape of Good Hope and from Turkey are 

 described. 



Pig farming and bacon curing, W. Frank (Agr. Jour. Cape Good Hope, 24 

 (1904), Nos. 2, p. 243; 3, pp. 335, 336; 5, pp. 574, 575).— A summary of available 

 information with special reference to the requirements of local pig raisers. 



