THE PURPOSE OF THIS BULLETIN 



While for more than half a century in Nevada the plant known here 

 as poison parsnip has been recognized as a poisonous plant, there has 

 been concerning it a good deal of confused opinion. 



Even among trained scientists there is no agreement. One writer 

 states that the tops are poisonous ; another that 41 pounds of the roots 

 were fed within two weeks to a sheep without causing serious illness. 

 Some writers assert that the roots are much less poisonous at one time 

 of year than at another ; others, that cattle and horses are poisoned, but 

 not sheep or goats. To clear away this confusion and to gain exact 

 information which would be of service to Nevada stockmen, several 

 series of feeding tests were undertaken at the University. 



Evidently, the actual feeding of roots and tops to live stock is the 

 best possible method of gaining exact information about the amount 

 required to kill an animal, the part of the plant which is poisonous, and 

 the time of year when it is dangerous. For example, we cannot reach 

 a safe conclusion concerning the deadly dose for a sheep by feeding the 

 plant to a rabbit or a guinea pig. Chemical analyses, however, throw 

 much light upon the nature of the active poisonous principles in the 

 plant. 



The series of feeding tests summarized in this bulletin cleared away 

 much of the previous confusion of opinion, and showed what part of 

 the plant is deadly and also how poisoning may readily be prevented. 



It is clear that in the long run studies of this character will diminish 

 suffering and loss among our domestic animals. 



S. B. DOTEN, 



Director, Nevada Agricultural Experiment Station. 

 UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, December 1, 1920. 



