402 UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA. PUBLICATIONS 



Groups I, II and III were kept in corrals in which there was nothing 

 for them to eat except the alfalfa hay which was given to them daily. 

 Groups IV, V and VI had the chance to eat locoweed and other growing 

 plants in addition to the daily ration of alfalfa. Their corrals were moved 

 as fast as the locoweed and other grasses were used up. Groups VII and 

 VIII fed only on the locoweed and grasses to be found in the corrals. These 

 corrals were constantly being moved so as to provide pasturage for 

 their occupants. Groups I, III, IV, VI and VII received salt at frequent 

 intervals.* 



The animals were put in the corrals and the experiment started on July 

 15, 1904 and continued until September O.f 



The animals were closely watched to determine when they first began 

 to eat the loco. On July 18 it was discovered that one ewe and one lamb 

 in Corral VIII had been eating the w.eed and by evening a considerable 

 quantity had been consumed. All the nutritious forage had been eaten out 

 before the loco had been touched, and it was soon noticed that all the ewes, 

 lambs and yearlings in corrals VII and VIII were eating the loco freely. 



The sheep which received hay also, did not take to the loco so readily, 

 and it was July 31 before there was any evidence that the animals in Cor- 

 rals IV, V, VI were eating the weed. They did not begin to eat the loco- 

 weed until they had cleared out all the other green forage in the corrals. 

 After they once began to eat the locoweed they showed quite a preference 

 for it whenever they were subsequently placed in a fresh corral. However, 

 they always ate abundantly of aKalfa, when it was furnished, and also of 

 the other forage in the corrals, never confining their diet to the locoweed, 

 even after they had formed the habit of eating it. 



The experiment thus demonstrated perfectly clearly that sheep can be 

 made to eat the locoweed, and that when they once begin eating it, they like 

 it as much as other food, and possibly prefer it. It also appeared that sheep 

 will not touch the weed while they receive a plentiful supply of green forage, 

 but will take it if they are starved, or if they are fed on alfalfa hay and al- 

 lowed to graze where locoweed is the only fresh plant. 



* The assistance of Mr. Reese of the Montana Agricultural College, in caring for 

 the animals, weighing them, moving corrals, etc., was of great value. 



t While this experiment was in progress a second feeding experiment was con- 

 ducted in a distant part of Montana. Five lambs and four ewes, all healthy animals 

 were kept in corrals abounding with locoweed from June 10 to September 16. The 

 experiment was conducted at White Sulphur, Montana, on the ranch of Mr. C. W. 

 Cook from whom the sheep were obtained. The results agreed with those obtained 

 at Ten Mile Flat, but it was impossible to give close continued attention to the ani- 

 mals, and the experiment is therefore not set forth in detail. No result was obtained 

 which in any way conflicted with the results obtained at Ten Mile Flat. 



