' POISONOUS PLANTS. 73 



have proved far superior to the ordinary wild form, yielding a much 

 heavier crop of foliage suitable for hay. White clover grows well on 

 the bottom lands of northwestern California around Scotia, Ferndale, 

 Crescent City, etc. , and thrives on a great variety of soils and under 

 varied conditions. It should prove a useful forage plant on valley 

 soils and is worth trial even on the open range. It is usually sown 

 with other forage plants, such as Italian ray grass. If sown alone, 

 from 6 to 8 pounds of seed to the acre is recommended. 



POISONOUS PLANTS. 



Mr. Sheppard, of Point Arena, reports that when he first settled 

 there some forty-five years ago many young animals died, supposedly 

 from eating "poison hemlock" (?), but that there are no longer any 

 poisonous plants on his ranch, which is situated on the bottom lands 

 of the Garcia River. 



On Bear River Ridge Mr. Farley, who has handled cattle there for 

 thirteen years, reports the presence of two poisonous plants, which, 

 however, cause but little trouble. One he calls "larkspur;" the 

 other is described as a plant "growing up like tobacco, about 2 feet 

 high, and having a blue flower like larkspur." Calves are sometimes 

 poisoned with the latter in the spring, while the grass is only a few 

 inches high and stock are too "greedy" to carefulty select their food. 

 When the grass is 6 or 8 inches high cases of poisoning do not occur. 

 The operation of "bleeding" is generally resorted to in cases of poi- 

 soning by these plants. 



Bloating is reported as somewhat common on the ranges in spring, 

 and bear clover (Trifolium furcatum virescens) is sometimes called 

 "bloat clover," as it is considered the most common cause of the 

 trouble. Usually bloating readily yields to the knife if the case is 

 treated immediately. 



Comparatively few specimens of poisonous plants were noted in the 

 region, and we heard scarcely any complaint about cattle poisoning. 

 The following species were observed: 



Poison hemlock (Conium maculatum). A large patch was found 

 among brush by the roadside, about 3 miles north of Miller. 



Larkspur; cow poison (Delphinium trollii folium) is reported "com- 

 mon on ridges throughout Humboldt County, where the stockmen 

 call it cow poison " (Rattan). Apparently not common in the region, 

 as we found it at only one place, viz, on a bank by the roadside at 

 Acorn Station, near Korbel. It is also reported as occurring spar- 

 ingly on Bear River Ridge, but a search failed to bring it to light. 

 "Its toxic character has been questioned. Perhaps it is not equally 

 poisonous throughout all stages of its growth" (Chesnut). a 



Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) appears as escaped from a cottage 

 garden in the hills back of Point Arena; abundantly naturalized on 



a Chesmit, V. K.: Preliminary Catalogue of Plants Poisonous to Stock: reprint 

 from Annual Report U. S. Dept. of Agric, Bureau Animal Industry, 1898. 



