The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-07-24

Professor Biankenship Complies infor-
nation Cleaned During Several
Years OF investigation.

ature on poisonous range plants IS 70
be made soon by Professor Blanken-
ship OF the department. Of botany at
the experiment station at Bozeman.
He viii shortly issue g bulletin en-
titled. THE Loco and Some Other
Poisonous Plants in Montana" The
bulletin will represent the work OF
a number of years and much careful
and painstaking investigation and eN-
~perimenting. An outline OF the con
tents has been Sent out and enables
an estimate to be made Of the value
of the forthcoming work.
One of the teatures of the bulletin
will be a table OF symptoms by which
it is possible to determine in most
cases the causes of poisoning in cat
tie, sheep and horses. In addition a
complete statement OF remedies will
be given, with the caution, however,
that these are only in the experimental
stage, and that varying circumstances
may effect the efficacy of the remedies.
A statement of the reasons why the
subject with which the bulletin treats
is becoming one Of increasing i'm
portance is the opening chapter OF
the bulletin. In the opinion OF the
professor the chief reason is contained
in the o~verstocking OF ranges, by
which animals are more often impelled
by hunger to eat unpalatable and poi
sonous plants, and the fact that ranges
are becoming SO valuable and restrict
ed that the old %precaution of simply
avoiding localities where it is known
poisonous plants thrive a no longer
be exercised, and stockmen now de-
mand some method of exterminating
such plants, or at least some success
full way of overcoming their evil eff
fects, once animals have eaten them.
The poisonous plants of the state
are only a half dozen in number. To
speak more explicitly, only that many
cause all, or practically all the dam
age to stock on the ranges. They are
larkspur, loco, lupine, water hemlock,
death camas and wild parsnip. Inves-
tigation has shown that the poisoning
of stock is confined closely to certain
sections of the state, certain seasons
Of the year, and certain weather con
ditions.
The Dangerous Time.
Professor Blankenship says that the
time of danger for most of the plants
is in the early part of May because
then the plants are more tender and
palatable, r more poisonous and are
more likely to be pulled up by the
roots, which are the most poisonous
part of the plants. To this rule lu-
pine is the exception, as poisoning
from it is most to be feared in July
and August. when it is generally
green and fresh, and when other plants
are usually dry. 1t is also possible,
he continues, that poisoning may oc-
cur in winter, from lupine or water
nemlOck IN the nay.
The times when stock should be the
most carefully guarded are after rain
or snow, and when driven to a new
range. When hot, hungry and tired
animals are likely to eat to excess and
without discrimination. Under per-
fectly normal conditions cattle are
said to rarely eat poisonous plants
to a dangerous amount.
Where Loco Grows.
A detailed discussion of each of the
plants named follows. Loco is said
not to occus In dangerous quantities
except in the central loco zone, ex-
tending from Livingston to Billings,
and from the mountains on the south
northward to the Musselshell and
around the Little Belt and Highwood
mountains"
In the belief of the professor the
area in which the loco grows is extend
ing although only gradually. He
thinks the evidence shows that the
plant was originally introduced by the
buffalo, and explains his idea as to
the extension of the zone in which
the plant is to be found by saying
that the seed is slowly being carried
in to new localities by sheep, which
are almost constantly moving from
n part of the range country to
another.
It is the professors belief that loco
can be exterminated, over limited
areas at least, and cites the case of a
ranch owned in the southern part OF
Sweet Grass county, where Doctor
Tudor of Bozeman has practically
a~radicatAd the n1ant and the nercont.