58 BULLETix 365, u, s. depaetme::!^t of agpjcultuee. 



perience but apparently, if anything, benefited by the opportunity 

 of free pasturing. During the summer the band of sheep was cor- 

 ralled nights in a small pasture which during the month of June was 

 almost entirely covered with Delphiniurn menziesii. All of this plant 

 was eaten out with the other plants growing in the pasture and 

 no injurious effect was produced upon any of the sheep. 



These experiments, in conjunction with the corral feeding experi- 

 ments, seemed to the station force to proA^e conclusively that sheep 

 can eat Delphinium ha/p'beyi and Delphinium menziesii with im- 

 punity, and that no fear of poisoning need be entertained from 

 pasturing sheep on a range containing these plants. 



EXPERIMEXTAL FEEDING OF DELPHINIUM ANDERSONII TO SHEEP IN 1911. 



Inasmuch as the belief is very common among the sheepmen of 

 California and Oregon that sheep are poisoned by eating the roots of 

 Delphinium andersonii, two experiments were made of feeding the 

 roots of this plant. The material was collected at McDowell's 

 Creek, near Lakeview, Oreg., on June 24, 1911, and -forwarded to the 

 station at Mount Carbon. As it is somewhat difficult to make sheep 

 eat the roots of the plant, and as the quantity was limited, it was 

 decided to administer the material in the form of a drench. The 

 roots after being washed were gi'ound fine and mixed with enough 

 water to permit of their administration. Two animals were used. 



Sheep 155, weighing 131 pounds, was brought in for experiment 

 on August 9. At 11.30 a. m. on August 11 it was given 200 grams 

 of dried roots and on August 12 at 11 a. m. and 2.30 p. m. it was 

 given the same amount. It thus received 1.3 i)ounds of the roots. 

 Inasmuch as these had been air dried it would be equivalent to at 

 least twice that amount of fresh roots. 



Sheep 136, weighing 153 pounds, was brought in for feeding on 

 August 13. At 10.30 a. m. on August 14 it was given 200 grams of 

 the roots. The same quantity was administered at 2.20 p. m., 4.45 

 p. m., and 7.45 p. m., and 150 grams were given at 9.45 p. m. Thus, 

 this animal received between 10.30 a. m. and 9.45 p. m. 2.1 pounds 

 of dried roots. This would be equivalent to at least 4.2 pounds of 

 fresh material. It is highly improbable that the sheep upon the 

 range, grazing upon larkspur, would obtain anything like this 

 amount of larkspur roots, so that this experiment in conjunction 

 with the experimental work of feeding roots of other larkspurs at 

 Mount Carbon seems to be fairly conclusive that sheep are not 

 poisoned by eating roots of Delphiniu/m ande7'sonii. Table X gives 

 the results of this experimental feeding. 



