FARMERS' BULLETIN 826. 



methods were then used in actual range management. Grazing 

 sheep on larkspur areas within cattle range has been tried out in a 

 number of localities, many miles of fence have been constructed to 

 keep cattle off dangerous poison areas, and there has been extensive 

 as well as experimental eradication of larkspur. 



The results of this work, though not yet complete, have changed 

 materially the opinions of both the stockmen and the men admin- 

 istering the grazing lands as to the comparative efficiency of the 

 different methods and the conditions under which a given method is 

 practicable. 



ERADICATION OF LARKSPUR BY GRUBBING. 



For National Forest ranges as a whole the most effective way of 

 eliminating loss from larkspur poisoning is to grub out the plants. 

 This method is made practicable by the fact that larkspur grows 

 mainly in isolated patches; on the greater portion of the range 

 there is not enough of it to endanger the cattle. Grubbing, further- 

 more, appears to offer a permanent solution of the problem, while 

 other methods which have been tried are more in the nature of tem- 

 porary expedients. 



Following careful experiments in 1913 and 1914 in grubbing 

 larkspur on three selected areas in the Stanislaus National Forest 

 eradication work was undertaken in 1915 on some 14,000 acres of 

 cattle range in the same National Forest. The range selected is 

 typical of high Sierra ranges, lying between 6,500 feet and 9,500 

 feet altitude. The areas of larkspur accessible to cattle totaled 

 approximately 68 acres, distributed in patches varying'in size from 

 a few square yards to 10 acres, located mainly in the small weed and 

 willow meadows, along the main drainage area, and at the heads of 

 small streams. Of the 68 acres of larkspur grubbed out approxi- 

 mately 42 acres were in willow y s along drainage lines and around 

 springs. The density of the willows and consequently the diffi- 

 culty of eradication varied considerably. Two areas, of one-half 

 and three-tenths of an acre were selected for special study of eradi- 

 cation in willows. Approximately 12 acres grubbed represented 

 areas where there was enough rock and gravel in the soil to inter- 

 fere materially with grubbing operations. An area of seven-tenths 

 of an acre was selected for special study of eradication on sites of 

 this character. The remaining 14 acres grubbed were open-meadow 

 and park areas where the soil was mainly a gravelly or sandy loam, 

 carrying some rock but not enough to interfere materially with 

 grubbing operations. A plot of one-tenth of an acre was selected 

 for special study of eradication on such sites. 



