i32 MONTANA EXPERIMENT STATION. 



GRASSHOPPERS. 



During the past three years a considerable amount of damage 

 was done by grasshoppers in eastern Montana. An extensive territory 

 was more or less affected, in some localities the grasshoppers being' 

 so abundant that there was no vegetation left. From this extreme 

 there was every gradation down to no injury. During these three 

 years the grasshoppers steadily increased and the seriously affected 

 territory was extended. 



The injuries have been principally confined to the fenced and 

 open ranges used by the stockmen in grazing cattle, sheep and horses, 

 but some damage was done to grains, cultivated grasses and alfalfa. 

 We received reports also of damage to fruit trees and to garden 

 crops. 



Coincidental with the appearance of the grasshoppers has been 

 a series of years in which the rain and snowfall has been much below 

 the average. Aside from any direct or indirect influence which this 

 scarcity of moisture may have had on the unusual increase of grass- 

 hoppers, it certainly very much shortened the crop of grass. While 

 the amount of grass that the grasshoppers ate would have been 

 missed even if there had been a full growth, it is certain that what 

 they took was more seriously missed on account of the scarcity of 

 grass. ^ 



Roughly speaking, the territory injured through the combined 

 effects of dry weathei and grasshoppers may be said to be embraced 

 in that part of Montana drained by the Yellowstone river east of the 

 town of Big Timber. Not only were the valleys of the tributaries 

 of the Yellowstone affected but the cross country as well. We also 

 received reports of injury in other scattering localities. One report 

 came through Townsend from the country northeast of that town 

 and we were notified of injury on the range in the eastern part of 

 Madison county. 



One species, the yellow-winged locust, was very abundant in re- 

 stricted localities in and about the Gallatin valley. We also noted 



the big-headed grasshopper to be more abundant than in previous 

 years and in two instances the yellow-striped locust was found in 

 great numbers in the edges of this valley. 



