The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1914-06-24
HOW TO REDUCE
THE ENORMOUS
Loss OF STOCK
Federal Officials Show That the
Peoples Great Meat Bill
Can Be Cut Down.

WASHINGTON, D. c., June "a
That at least one-twentieth of all the
stock bred on the open range of the
West dies before it reaches market
age and that much of this loss can
be stopped is shown by results re-
ported to federal officials from the
national forests. This waste is said
to add millions of dollars to the peo-
pies meat bill and gives one or more
cause of the high cost of living. Win
ter storms and summer droughts
|ntrew the ranges with the bones OF
cattle and sheep; predatory animals
take a heavy toll; poisonous plants
sometimes kill half the animals in a
herd almost over might. Cattle con.
tract anthrax, blackleg and other
diseases. get stuck in bog holes, slip
off Icy hfllsides; and sheep pile up
and die of suffocation. Insects
which madden and kill swell the to-
tai loses as do multitude of other
minor causes of death and injury.
How Disease is Prevented.
If any of the animals to be grazeQ
upon national forest seem to be
suffering from disease, the stock. is
subjected to a rigid inspection by the
federal bureau of animal industry
before 1t is allowed to enter the for
est. II an animal grazing on the for
lest develops suspicious symptoms the
permittee is requested to remove it.
The carcases of animals dying from
infectious or communicable diseases
must be buried or burned, preferably
the latter. To protect their stock
against blackleg permittees are en-
couraged to use vaccine furnished
free by the department of agriculture.
Sheep suffering from scab or from
lip and leg disease are barred from
the forest until they have been
treated in conformity with the re-
Iquirements Of the bureau of animal
industry. This cooperation between
the two bureaus has made 1t possible
to keep the forest ranges remark
ably free from all forms OF stock dis
ease.
Stock Killed by Wild Beasts.
The settlement and development
of the West does not appear to have
greatly reduced the number Of anil
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 an
mails killed has been apparently re-
duced by the campaign against wild
animals waged by the officers OF the
service. During the lasE five years
forest officers have killed over 35, 900
predatory animals, consisting of coy
ote, wolves, bear, mountain lion, 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. Stockmen knew gem
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, 1t was learned that in most in
stances these plants while extremely
poisonous during certain periods of
the year, were comparatively innox-
tous during the remainder OF the
grazing season. The forest officers
determined the various plant species
which caused death or injury Of live
stock, the periods during 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 and means Of prevent
ing the losses. Nhere definite in
formation is obtainable the, outer
limits Of the poison areas are marked
by warning placards which give the
name of the poisonous plant, the
kind Of stock to which ii is injurious,
and the period during which II is
most harmful. With this warnin,g
stockmen are enabled to so handle
their stock as to prevent the oecu-
pancy Of the poison area during dan
ger periods. In cases where the areas
Of poisonous plants are comparatively
small the permittees have been en-
couraged to fence them, material for
fence construction being furnished
free OF charge BY the forest service.
The result of this work has been to
reduce the number Of animals lost
through poisonous plants as coni-