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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
, BULLETIN No. 575 ¥¥ 
Contribution from the Bureau of Animal Industry x 
JOHN R. MOHLER, Chief 
Washington, D. C. Vv Reprint, October 10, 1919 
STOCK-POISONING PLANTS OF THE RANGE’ 
By C. D. Marsa, Physiologist, Pathological Division. 
CONTENTS. 
Page Page 
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PREFATORY NOTE. 
It is well known that poisonous plants cause heavy losses of range animals. Statis- 
tics in regard to these losses are not available, but from estimates made in many locali- 
ties it seems probable that the average loss must be as great as 3 to 5 per cent, while in 
some range States it rises to much higher figures. For example, it has been estimated 
that in Colorado the losses amount to a million dollars annually, while sheep growers 
in Wyoming have estimated their annual loss as 14.6 per cent. 
These losses, too, are to a large extent of mature animals, those that are ready or 
nearly ready for the market, and for the rearing of which large sums have already been. 
spent. The importance of these severe losses has been recognized by the United 
States Department of Agriculture and extended investigations and experiments have 
been undertaken to determine what plants were poisonous and under what conditions 
poisoning took place, and to formulate methods for preventing these deaths. This 
work has involved prolonged study, and is still in progress. Some very definite results 
have been obtained, however, and it has been shown that the heaviest losses are due 
to a comparatively small number of plants. If the stockmen and herders can recog- 
nize these plants and will act upon the information contained in the bulletins which 
have been published on the subject, there is no doubt that most of these losses can be 
avoided. 
Presumably, for the sake of their own material interests, the owners of live stock will 
be glad to do all in their power to reduce the fatalities from these plants. At the 
present time, however, when it is a matter of supreme concern to conserve the national 
food supply, one of the most important elements of which is meat, it is especially 
1 Original issue July 23, 1918, 
