.E'lTER OF TRANSMITTAL 



U. S. Department of Agricui^ture, 



Division of Botany, 

 Washirigton^ D. 61, February 5*, 1901. 

 Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith for your consideration 

 a manuscript entitled '"The Stock-Poisonino; Plants of Montana: A 

 Preliminar\' Report," by ]Mr. V. K. Chesnut, assistant in charge of 

 investigations of poisonous plants, and Dr. E. V. Wikox. assistant in 

 the Office of Experiment Stations. 



The State veterinarian of Montana, Dr. ]M, E. Knowles, in his 

 annual report to the State board of sheep commissioners for the year 

 1899, made the following statement: 



Poisonous plants every year in this State are responsible for much loss in sheep, 

 and it is to be hopeil that your honorable body will use your influence with the 

 Department of Agriculture to have the localities in our State, where these plants 

 exist, mapped out, and, if possible, a description of all the known poisonous plants 

 published in such language that the layman may understand, and it would be well, 

 even, to have cuts made of each plant. 



Hon. T. C. Power, president of the board, laid the matter before 

 3'^ou, citing the large losses of live stock in ^Montana, both cattle and 

 horses as well as sheep, which were supposed to be due to poisonous 

 plants, and secured your approval of the investigation. The coopera- 

 tion of the Montana agricultural experiment station was secured, and 

 Mr. Chesnut and Dr. Wilcox, the latter temporarily transferred to the 

 Division of Botany through the courtesy of Dr. A. C. True, Director 

 of the Office of Experiment Stations, were detailed to field work on 

 the 1st of ]May, with suitable instructions. The accompanying manu- 

 script is the report of their investigations in the season of 1900. 

 Respectfully, 



Frederick V. Coville, 



Botanist. 

 Hon. James Wilson, 



Secretary of AgricuLture. 



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