FEBRUARY AND PLANT-LIFE STILL SLEEPS IN NORTHERN CLIMES 



875 



Terminating the stem of one of those plants, with another 

 pod lower down. On the central, horizontally disposed, 

 upper pod, are six very curious-looking caterpillars ; they 

 are very hairy little creatures, the hair being regularly 

 arranged in tufts. Where it is dark it is black, while 

 the lighter tufts are of a buffy orange and light brown. 

 These are the caterpillars of the Milkweed moth 

 {Euchaetias egle), and they were taken natural size on 

 a six and a half by eight and a half plate, the locality 

 being Great Falls, southern Maryland, a few miles north- 

 west of Washington, D. C. 



This Milkweed moth is a very abundant representa- 

 tive of its genus, ranging throughout the Atlantic States, 

 westward beyond the Mississippi Valley. It is a very 

 modest-appearing little moth, with an expanse of wing 

 measuring about four centimeters. Hampson has given 

 us a detailed figure of it, and Holland has likewise done 

 so in color. From the last it would appear that its wings 

 both pairs are of a pale grayish brown, and there is 

 a median row of some seven or eight fine black dots on 

 the abdomen above. This row of dots is quite character- 

 istic of several of the allied forms of this genus of moths. 



EMERGENCY FEED FROM DESERT PLANTS 



AN emergency drought-time feed for southwestern 

 stockmen which has previously been overlooked 

 is the desert shrub locally known as soapweed. 

 Its scientific name is Yucca. While this plant is not 

 high in nutritive value nor suitable for feed until it 



meal with ground Yucca a fairly well balanced ration 

 is made. By using this feed without waste in dry sea- 

 sons only, a fair crop will always be available. If it 

 is used properly and due regard given to conserving 

 the present supply, thousands of cattle may be saved 



CHOPPING AND SHREDDING YUCCA FOR CATTLE FEED 



It is eagerly eaten by the cow, even though this particular milch animal was not in a starving condition, as were those which had tried to sub- 

 sist solely on range vegetation. 



has been properly ground, the specialists of the United 

 States Department of Agriculture have found that in 

 seasons of drought when range grasses and other sources 

 of feed fail, it can be used to save cattle and sheep 

 from starving. By the addition of a little cottonseed 



during the drought season to add to the nation's meat 

 supply. 



There are a score or more species of Yucca. Sotol 

 has been utilized as stock feed for some years, but only 

 recently have soap weed and bear grass, two other forms 



