310 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



erable damage has occurred in the Red River Valley. During July^ 

 1020, the situation became desi:)erate because the counties along the 

 Canadian l)order, Avhich were hard hit l)y grasshopper damage, had 

 exhaustetl their funds in the previous year's eiforts, and were witiiout 

 means to purciiase supplies and labor Avith wdiich to conduct the light. 

 In this emergency wheat growers and business men, as well as State 

 oflicials, appealed to the Federal Department of Agriculture for aid. 

 Uni'ortunatel.y, no funds were avaihible for the purpose of providing 

 materials or labor, and, although the department summoned a grass- 

 hopper expert from the Pacific coast in order to assist in the fight, it 

 was found that he could do little or nothing to aid the counties most 

 in need of help. As a consequence of this condition, the spring wheat 

 crop in several counties has been seriously reduced by grasshopper 

 injuries. In the course of the summer's investigations it was deter- 

 mined that large numbers of grasshoppers were drifting northward 

 across the Canadian border, and it is claimed that the excellent con- 

 trol work conducted by the Canadian Department of Agriculture 

 was, at least in some cases, made futile by reinfestation from the 

 American side of the line. Swarms of grasshoppers were several 

 times seen flying from Canadian territory into the United States,, 

 although by far the heaviest flights were in the opposite direction. 



The conditions as described above illustrate the great desirability 

 of the provision by Congress of an emergency fund to be drawn on 

 for the purpose of meeting similar emergencies in the future. The 

 problem created by the flying of grasshopper swarms across the 

 international border should be met by appropriate action on the 

 part of the Governments involved and the provision of funds for this- 

 particular purpose. 



Wherever funds were available for adequate control operations 

 the results in North Dakota this year again demonstrated the effi- 

 cienc}^ of the poisoned baits as a most reliable means of grasshopper 

 extermination, and great savings have resulted from their use. 



Hessian fly. — As predicted in my last report, greatly increased 

 damage by the Hessian fly occurred during the year throughout much 

 of the winter-wheat belt. The injury was notably sei-ious in Illinois,. 

 Indiana, Ohio, and southern Michigan, while damage was recorded 

 in Kentucky, Oklahoma, North Carolina, JNIaryland, Virginia, and 

 New Jersey. In Kansas conditions were much more favorable, owing^ 

 it is believed, to a vigorous campaign for control waged by State 

 and Federal authorities during the summer of 1919. Much of the 

 early sown wheat in Indiana and Illinois was killed out during the 

 winter b}^ the weakening action of the pest. A cooperative campaign 

 for control was inaugurated by State and Federal forces during the 

 present summer, and is being pushed vigorously in Illinois, Indiana, 

 and Ohio, which, it is believed, will result in the protection of the 

 winter-wheat crop of 1921 in the^e States. A publication giving the 

 methods of control for Indiana was prepared by the bureau repre- 

 sentative in that State and published as a circular of the experi- 

 ment station in May of the present year. A new Federal Farmers' 

 Bulletin (No. 1083) treating on Hessian fly "control was issued in 

 March. 1920. 



Alfalfa weevil. — As a result of seven years of careful experi- 

 mentation a method of spraying for the control of the alfalfa Aveevil 



