STOCK-POISONING PLANTS OF THE RANGE. 3 



For some years the United States Department of Agriculture has 

 been carrying on a series of experiments with poisonous plants, and 

 there has been accumulated a considerable body of information, 

 which, although necessarily incomplete, will be, it is hoped, of service 

 to men handling live stock upon the open range. 



It appears from these researches that, while the total number of 

 poisonous plants growing in the West may be very large, the number 

 to be dreaded by the stockmen is comparatively small, and in most 

 cases it is not at all difficult to identify the plants which are to be 

 avoided. Of course, most stockmen are not botanists and are not 

 interested in the botanical distinctions of plants. Most of them, 

 however, are good observers and can readily recognize these plants 

 if the salient characteristics are brought before them in a manner 

 which they can understand. 



With the continued reduction of the area of stock ranges and the 

 increasing value of live stock, the owners are of necessity handling 

 the animals with greater care. The time has passed when a man 

 will buy a few cows, turn them loose, and pay no more attention to 

 them except to brand the calves and occasionally round up a few of 

 them for market. It is becoming necessary for stock owners to be 

 in constant touch with their animals upon the range, and it is no 

 longer probable that a large number will die and the fact become 

 known to the owner only after the lapse of weeks or months. Most 

 of the mountain stock ranges at the present time are under the 

 general direction of the Forest Service, and the officers of that bureau 

 are constantly patrolling the territory under their direction, so that 

 between this supervision and the riding by the employees of the 

 stock owners, cattle and horses upon the range are kept under 

 almost constant observation. Sheep, of course, have always been 

 under the immediate care of a herder, and probably will continue to 

 be attended to in the same general way. 



Extensive acquaintance by the author with the conditions on the 

 western ranges has shown that while harmful plants are known and 

 avoided by some men, there are large regions in which these plants 

 have never been recognized, in spite of the fact that losses have 

 occurred year after year. 



The object of this publication is to present in a brief and intelligible 

 form such a description of the common or more important plants as 

 can be understood by a person not in the habit of using technical 

 terms. With this description is given a brief statement of the symp- 

 toms produced by the plant, the time at which the losses may be 

 expected to occur, and the means, so far as they are known, of 

 avoiding them. It is not intended to give any complete description 

 of the plants or their effects. For this, reference must be made to 

 the more detailed reports upon specific plants. In regard to most of 



