TWENTIETH REPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST 9 



circulars of information on these supplies for the guidance of county 

 agents and for the benefit of the farmer. By this agency the De 

 partment of Entomology at the Agricultural College is kept in touch 

 with the conditions and needs throughout the State, thereby making 

 it possible to conduct its research work more effectively and more 

 adequately to meet the needs of Montana. 



OTHER DUTIES OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST 



Since the passage of the original law various other laws have 

 been enacted placing added duties upon the State Entomologist. The 

 county insect pest act (Political Code of 1921, sections 4501-4505) 

 provides that the county commissioners in any county shall take steps 

 whenever necessary to meet emergency outbreaks of insect pests. They 

 may appoint suitable persons to act under the direction of the State 

 Entomologist in the destruction of insect pests. County commissioners 

 may purchase supplies and hire persons, thereby incurring expenses 

 which may be paid from the general fund and in turn returned to 

 the general fund by a special levy on the count}' not to exceed one mill. 



The arrangement between the State Entomologist's office and 

 the several counties provides that the counties shall take charge of 

 local campaigns under the leadership of the county agents or some 

 other authorized individual. This office provides a method of control 

 according to up-to-date information on the subject and advises with 

 the local officers throughout the State. It is necessary for repre- 

 sentatives of this office to visit the several counties in order to de- 

 cide such points as whether the campaign is necessary or whether 

 the county pest act should be employed at all. It has been the policy 

 of this office not to sanction the expenditure of county funds unless 

 we were reasonably certain that a campaign would be successful. It 

 it not possible to get results by correspondence alone. A considerable 

 amount of expense is necessary for traveling in this connection. The 

 agent of this office has information as to where supplies may be se- 

 cured and can advise regarding amounts necessary and prices. He 

 generally advises with the county commissioners and helps them to 

 determine how T much money it is necessary to set aside for the work. 



It should be commented at this point that the county pest act has 

 l>een a very effective assistance to this office and of immense value 

 to many counties in meeting serious pest outbreaks. The triangular 

 combination of a centralized state office, a county post act, and a 



