Show POISONOUS PLANTS TO BE investigated government experts will continue work commenced last year during the season of 1914 poisonous plant investigations were especially conducted on forests of and central utah by dr C D marsh in charge of poisonous plant investigations of the bureau of plant industry in cooperation with the forest service dr marsh was assisted by Eggleston Mr and hadleigh marsh the more important areas where s tock stock poisoning occurs within the fillmore national forest were gone over and the principal plants found and reported upon by dr marsh are low and high larkspur delphinium death camos loco and and oak brush quercus both low and high larkspur arb are found more or less throughout the forest the low larkspur being common to the sagebrush and oak zone while the high larkspur occurs at the higher elevations of the forest all species of larkspur are poisonous to cattle and horses although the latter seldom eat it to any plant is no doubt responsible for the cattle losses in the valley and eagle hollow country of district no 7 along the 1 summit on the chalk creek slope especially the head of white pine in Dittri dettrict ct no 5 andaas very lilleg aikle the cause of loss in the whitaker cattle on the beaver northeast of puffers lake where the high larkspur occurs in patches the suggestions given in farmers bulletin which is now available may assist in reducing I 1 losses from larkspur poison ing death camos canicula was found to be very abunde abundant nt on the west slope of the range and more or less along the eastern base of the mountains the fact this plant and loco occur on the range where the so called oak brush poisoning is common may have something to do with this trouble lo but as yet no definite evidence to this effect has been obtained laa june dr marsh made an autopsy of an animal near scipio L lake a ke that the stockmen stoc kmen present said was a typical case of oak poisoning f nothing definite was determined but it was not believed that larkspur had anything to do with the trouble it is dr maahs intention to attack the oak brush problem at the first opportunity and follow it to a successful conclusion dafin ate information as to the cause of this trouble will be welcomed by the local stockman the investigation of last summer would indicate that the trouble in big flat region on the beaver watershed is due to loco poisoning there is is present here a species of the genus Ort are also very abunde abundant nt at the lower altitudes and may also be the cause of some of I 1 the we so called loco cases death camos is no doubt the most important cheep poisoning plant in utah the most noticeable symptoms of poisoning from this plant is spewing and forest officers report that the poison where it does not kill the sheep outright has a lingering effect from which the animal may later die or never recover complexly A bulletin on this plant is now in press and it is hoped that as soon as it is published that it will be possible to acquaint the stockmen stoc kmen with its appearance an and d poisonous qualities it also seems quite certain that the chokecherry choke cherry common in high altitudes under some circumstances causes loss in sheep therefore before trailing sheep across areas where cherrey is abundant it is suggested that they be well filled up if possible since hungry sheep may take enough of the plant to cause harm has demonstrated that losses from poisonous plants are arc less when the range is in good condition and there is an abundance abunde nce of palatable ab le forage plants to satisfy the needs of the stock since under ardi n nary ary circumstances stock do not eat P poisonous ois onous plants as a choice it is therefore the desire of the service to improve the range within the forest so as to offset as much as possible the from poisonous plants as well as to increase the carrying capacity of the range and at the same time protect tile the timber and watersheds upon which the agricultural lands and the commus ties in tile the valleys below are so dependent for their best permanent welfare it is believed that considerable sid erable can be accomplished in offsetting the poison nuisance by systematic salting of the range and thereby keeping tile the stock more evenly distributed and avoid the shortage of feed in certain localizes loca lites by the congregating of stock tile the salt also acts as a laxative and keeps the stock in better condition to combat sickness or disease faster range improvement will also result |