STOCK-POISOXIXG PLAXTS OF THE RANGE 



23 



cases of poisoning have occurred when the sheep are brought down 

 from the mountains in the fall. If during that passage the band is 

 overtaken by a snowstorm, sometimes it will feed freely on the lupine 

 pods which remain above the snow, and heavy losses may occur. It is 

 not unusual for several hundred of a band to be killed by lupine poi- 

 soning. These losses are not confined to any one State, but occur in 

 most of the Western States where sheep are grazed on the range. While 

 there is definite experimental proof of the poisonous properties of 

 some of the lupines, others are known to be not poisonous. It is dif- 

 ficult, however, even for one trained in botany, to distinguish between 

 these, so that the wise 

 herder will endeavor to 

 keep his sheep away 

 from all lupines when 

 the plants are in pod. 



Symptoms of Lupine 

 Poisoning 



of 



111 



m 



jsm, 



Figure 13. — A range sheep poisoned by lupine 



The symptoms 

 lupine poisoning 

 sheep resemble in many 

 respects those produced 

 by some other poison- 

 ous plants. There is 

 frothing at the mouth, 

 but in addition the 

 animals run about in a 

 frenzy, butting against 

 any opposing object in a way Avhich seems to be characteristic of this 

 disease. Figure 13 shows a range sheep poisoned by lupine. This 

 was one of a large number affected as they were coming from summer 

 range. In Figure 14 is shown a poisoned sheep butting against the 

 side of the pen. This is typical of lupine poisoning. 



Treatment of Lupine Poisoning 



Xo medicinal remedies have been found for cases of lupine poison- 

 ing. The only thing for a sheep herder to do is to make certain in 

 advance that the animals under his care shall not come upon a patch 

 of lupine in pod when they are particularly hungry. 



POISON BEAN (DAUBENTONIA DRUMMONDII) 



The poison bean, DaubentonJa drummondii, frequently called coffee 

 bean, (pi. 14) is a shrub growing in the Gulf region and extending 

 as far north as the northwestern border of Texas. It likes to live 

 with " its feet in the water " and is found in great profusion along 

 ditches and sluggish streams in southern Texas. 



The leaves are alternate, with 12 to 60 leaflets, and the flowers are 

 lemon yellow. The pods, as shown in the illustration, have four 

 wings and the seeds are separated from one another by cross parti- 

 tions in the pods. 



So far as known, the green plant does no harm. The seeds are 

 poisonous and a sheep may be poisoned by a little more than an 

 ounce or killed by something less than 2 ounces. The pods have 



