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Show oo sheep poison or If II SEED II SEED PODS George G. Bentz, supervisor of the Caribou forest, reports an Interesting investigation of the effect of lupine, seeds and seed pods, when eaten by sheep. Lupine has not been considered con-sidered poisonous to stock, yet in the fall from year to year, sheep would die, In certain localities, as if from poisoning, and the presence of the woolly lupine led observing stockmen stock-men to believe that this must be responsible re-sponsible for their death. Last September Sep-tember as sheep belonging to Austin Brothers and the Blackfoot Livestock j company were leaving the Caribou i forest by Diamond creek and tho j Blackfoot river between fifty and a f hundred died. A large number be- came sick soon aftor crossing "up- E per a alley," in which there was con- t siderable lupine, some dying within t a few hours, others after several l hours, and still others rallied slowly and recovered. i Autopsy Indicated Lupine Poisoning. Dr. Hadleigh Marsh of the bureau fc of animal industry, and Mr ISggles p ton of the bureau of plant Industry, y I analyzed the contents of the stom- v achs of several sheep, and It was tho g opinion that tho deaths wore duo to E the poisonous seeds or seed pods of I the lupine. It may be that the ac- tion of the frost has a deleterious ef- feet on the lupine. Whllo the lupine is green It can bo eaton by stock t without damage, so that early pas- g turage of the plant may prove a 1 remedial mensure. To cut the lupine fc when in bloom with a brush scythe is I recommended. If these measures are H impracticable, sheep may be "filler! S up" before crossing an area contain- Ing lupine, and thon be permitted to i drift across, unless It is possible to K avoid the place by taking a different I route. 1 In his address In Ogdcn on poison- . ous range plants, especially the lark- k spur, Dr. C. D. Marsh stated that larkspur, very poisonous to cattle, Is harmless to sheep, With lupine, sheep are poisoned by its seeds and seed pods, while no damage is reported re-ported to cattle or horses. The Caribou forest Is an area approximately ap-proximately 78 miles long by 15 miles wide, and reaches from the Oregon Short Line railroad at Montpcller to the Snake river, and includes portions of the watersheds of tho Snake and Bear rivors. This nrea contains excellent ex-cellent ranges, so that 11,300 head of cattle and about 300,000 head of sheep are grazed. Although so prominent prom-inent as a grazing forest, the timber sale business has enjoyed a gradual growth during the past five years. The timber, of fir, pine, and spruce, Is found principally on north slopes nnd in canyons in small scattered bodies, so that it is now aud probably will be used largely for local needs. The local sawmills do considerable custom business with many farmers and ranchmen who do their own logging. log-ging. All the permanent ranger stations of the forest are connected with the headquarters at Montpcller by a telephone system of 115 miles. Mr. Bentz was formerly assistant chief of grazing in the district office, and on this visit he is accompanied by Mrs. Bentz and little .daughter, who are improving the dpportunity to renew their Ogden acquaintance. |
