WESTERN SNEEZE WEED AS A POISONOUS PLANT. 39 



Two sheep (Nos. 490 and 467) were fed on this plant and during 

 the feeding a mixture of tannic acid and salt was kept in the pen. 

 Sheep 490 showed symptoms in 22 days after eating 69 pounds of 

 the plant. Sheep 467 after 40 days feeding with a daily average 

 quantity of 1.34 pounds showed no symptoms. This animal, how- 

 ever, did not eat the plant freely and did not get enough during the 

 period of feeding to produce toxic symptoms. Neither of the sheep 

 ate very much of the tannic acid and salt mixture. In the case of 

 these sheep, as of the other two, there was no evidence of any benefi- 

 cial effect from the tannic acid. 



3. Because of the general practice on the Fishlake National Forest 

 of moving spewing sheep to a lower level, where they could graze on 

 browse, and as the browse consisted largely of oak and service berry, 

 it was thought worth while to try out the effect of feeding these 

 plants to animals that were receiving H. hoopesii leaves. This was 

 tried with several animals, but with no resulting benefit. From these 

 experiments it seems probable that the benefits which the sheepmen 

 say follow the removal of the animals to browse result not from the 

 effect of the browse but from the removal of the animals from the 

 sneezeweed and the consequent change of forage. 



The general result of these experiments on remedies was discourag- 

 ing, and it can only be said that at the present time no effective 

 remedies are known which can be used for H. hoopesii poisoning. 



treatment of plant on the range. 



Possibility of Exterminating Helenitjm hoopesii. 



The question has been asked, Is it not possible by digging to rid 

 the range of H. hoopesii? In order to determine this somewhat 

 exactly, an area where the plant was fairly thick was measured off 

 and two men were set to work — one with a hoe and the other with a 

 spade — to dig up the plant. The plant was not simply cut off, but 

 was dug up and the roots exposed to the sun. On the basis of the 

 work done by these two men it would require 81 hours and 20 minutes 

 to clear an acre. This at the present price of labor on the range would 

 cost at least $30 an acre. This cost evidently is prohibitive. 



The area was cleared on September 8, 1918, and was kept under 

 observation during the season of 1919. When examined on Septem- 

 ber 19, 1918, it was found that the plants had been almost entirely 

 killed. A few small plants had been overlooked and a considerable 

 number of very small plants were found which probably started after 

 the area was dug over. 



The plot was examined again August 4, 1919, when it was found 

 that the few plants which were growing were for the most part from 

 seedlings. On the whole area of 4 square rods, 14 flower stalks were 



