RANGE MANAGEMENT ON THE NATIONAL FORESTS. 83 



Important facts relative to the main poisonous plants of far-west- 

 ern ranges have been accumulated as a result of field experiments, 

 demonstrations, and observations under range conditions. Each of 

 the main poisonous plants, the classes of stock poisoned by each, the 

 season of poisoning, and the remedies, so far as they have been 

 worked out, have been published and are available to every owner of 

 live stock and every individual involved in the management of live 

 stock on the range. 



The publications listed at the close of this section should be read 

 at the earliest opportunity as a preparation for effective work in the 

 management of range infested with poisonous plants. 



To master fully all available information on poisonous plants is 

 only the first step. Until each poisonous species is recognized on the 

 range and its distribution and abundance determined, little progress 

 can be made in the application of measures, however practicable, to 

 prevent the poisoning of stock. For poisonous-plant experts and 

 range experts to attend to this themselves on the vast areas within 

 the National Forests alone would take many years. Progress on a 

 large scale necessitates not only that local forest officers and stock- 

 men learn to know the poisonous plants when they see them on the 

 range, but that they cooperate in locating all areas where each plant 

 occurs and in determining the abundance of each plant on each area. 



In this work the forest officers should take the lead. They are in 

 possession of illustrated wall charts and pamphlets which will help 

 in identifying the more important poisonous species. Colored illus- 

 trations for a number of species are in the library of every Forest. 

 Specimens of the plants identified should be collected and forwarded 

 to the district forester for check identification. The effort necessary 

 is warranted by the magnitude of the losses annually and b}^ the fact 

 that only by such procedure will the men learn to know the plants 

 with certainty and be able to reduce the losses and still use the in- 

 fested range. Once forest officers know the poisonous plants on the 

 range and know the information available relative to the class of 

 stock poisoned by each species, the time of poisoning, the symptoms 

 of poisoning, and the preventive measures, the interest and active 

 cooperation of the stockmen may be developed. Then attention may 

 be called to the plants on the range. Wall charts and mounted speci- 

 mens may be used at meetings and lectures, publications may be re- 

 ferred to, and "reading urged. Continued suggestion from a well- 

 informed officer on the ground is the most effective way of creating 

 interest and getting action. 



When a dangerous area of poisonous plants is known to exist upon 

 a forest, heavy losses may sometimes be avoided if the boundaries of 

 the dangerous area are posted with proper warnings. Because it is 

 often impossible for the local administrative officer to point out these 



