Crotalaria for Forage


crotaline per kilogram of live weight. The artificially dried hay
was highly toxic to cattle. Neither the green forage, hay, nor
silage of C. spectabilis should be offered to livestock, nor should
grazing be allowed over fields on which volunteer plants (or a
crop) of C. spectabilis have been killed by frost.
 Crotalaria retusa L. seeds were found to cause death in chick-
ens. The presence of at least one alkaloid in the seed was dem-
onstrated, and at least one other may be present. Cattle did not
graze the forage of this species in the palatability trials.

 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
 The Division of Forage Crops and Diseases, Bureau of Plant Indus-
try, of the United States Department of Agriculture, proposed the study
of the crotalarias as possible forage crops to the Florida Agricultural
Experiment Station, aided in planning the work and contributed to the
support of the project by furnishing seed, labor, and equipment. Dr. H.
Harold Hume, then assistant director of research, directed inter-depart-
mental relationships and contributed materially to facilities and plans
for the investigation.
 W. E. Stokes represented the Agronomy Department in the study
of the production of crotalaria forage, in planning the work, arranging
for facilities, and otherwise aiding during the progress of the investiga-
tion.
 Dr. A. L. Shealy aided in planning the project, provided certain
experimental animals, and participated in the toxicity studies. The
crops were ensiled under the supervision of Henry Zeigler, farm fore-
man.
 Several persons assisted in the livestock phases of the investigation
C. R. Dawson aided with the initial observations on palatability of the
fresh crotalarias with dairy cows. Chemical analyses of feed and feces
samples from the digestibility and comparative feeding trials were made
by Will T. Dunn, L. L. Rusoff, Irving Rusoff and H. H. Hoffman. The
late Dr. R. M. Barnette determined the hydrogen-ion concentrations in
the press juice of the silages. The late Arlington Henley and Herbert
Henley cared for the animals in the digestibility and maintenance trials
and recorded the consumption of hay by mules. J. H. Warington, Hal
Warington, and S. L. Mimms aided with the cattle during the digestion
trials. H. H. Hoffman calculated many of the chemical analyses.
 T. H. Rivers was responsible for feed and records with the dairy
cows during the first comparative feeding trial, and Jefferson Davis
during the second and third trials. W. W. Henley took weights of na-
tive cows on the grazing trial while Herbert Henley kept records of the
hay fed to mules.
 L. L. Rusoff conducted certain important parts of the toxicity study.
Drs. E. F. Thomas and C. F. Ahmann aided in parts of these studies
with cattle, and with the monocrotaline alkaloid. Combustion analyses
of the monocrotaline on which the molecular constitution was postulated
were made by Dr. H. G. Shaw.
 Some of the photographs were taken by W. A. Stenhouse of the
United States Department of Agriculture and W. E. Stokes. Micropho-
tographs were taken by R. K. Voorhees.