Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1914-06-27
HEAVY STOCK LOSS.

That at least One-twentieth of all
stock bred on the open range of tire
west dies before it reaches market
age and that much of this loss can
be stopped is shown by results re.
ported from the national forests.
This waste is said to add millions Of
dollars to the peoples meat bill and
gives one more cause of the high
cost of living. Winter storms and
summer droughts strew the ranges
with the bones of, cattle and sheep;
predatory animals take a heavy toll;
poisonous plants sometimes kill half
the animals In d herd almost over
night. Cattle contract anthrax, black.
leg and other diseases, get stuck in
bog roles, slip on icy hillsides; and
sheep pile up and die of suffocation.
Insects which madden and kill swell
the total losses as do a multitude Of
other minor causslstey 81 death and in
jury.
How Dissass 10 Prevented.
If any Of the animals to be grazed
upon a national forest seem to be
suffering from disease, the stock is
subjected to a rigid inspection by
the federal bureau Of animal indus
try before It is allowed to enter the
forest. II an animal grazing on the
forest develops suspicious symptoms
the permittee is requested to re.
move it.. The carcasses Of animals
dying from infectious or commune.
able diseases must be buried or
burned, preferably the latter. To
protect their stock against blackleg
permittees are encouraged to use
vaccine furnished free by the depart
ment of agriculture. Sheep suffer.
ing from scab or from lip and leg
disease are barred from the forests
until they have been treated in con
formity with the requirements of the
bureau Of animal industry. This co.
operation between the two bureaus
has made it possible to keep the for.
est ranges remarkably free from all
forms Of stock disease.
Stock Killed BY Wild Beasts.
The settlement and development OF
the west does not appear to have
greatly reduced the number Of ami.
mails which prey upon domestic live
stock, and the loss from that source
alone runs into the millions of dol.
lars each year. Within the forests,
however. the number Of domestic
animals killed has been increased by
the campaign against wild animals
waged by the officers Of the service,
During the past eight years forest
officers have killed over thirty.five
thousand predatory animals, consist.
ing of coyotes, wolves. bears, mount
ain lio1, wild cats, lynx, etc.
The losses due to poisonous plants
have been in the aggregate the most
numerous and the most difficult to
guard against. St0ckmen knew gen
orally that certain flats or valleys
or hillside slopes could not be used
for grazing without heavy losses OF
stock, but there was much doubt as
to what caused the loss. Gradually
1t was determined that the losses
were due to various species OF
plants. Later, it was learned that
in most instances these plants while
extremely poisonous during certain
periods of the year, we're compare
lively %innoxious during the remain
der of the grazing season. The for
est officers determined the various
plant species which cause death OF
injury Of live stock, the periods dur.
ing which each species is dangerous
and the areas OF forest land upon
which the plants are sufficiently
abundant to cause losses Of stock
The next step was to devise ways
ond means Of preventing the losses
Where definite information is oh
tainable the outer limits Of the poi
son areas are marked by warning
pfacards which give the name of the
poisonous plant, the kind of stock tc
which it is injurious, and the period
during which It is most harmful
With this warning, stockmen are en-
abled to SO handle their stock as tc
prevent the occupancy Of the poison