TWENTIETH EEPOET OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST 11 



grasshopper situation in 1924 and a deficiency appropriation is be- 

 ing asked for to reimburse the bankers of the State. It so happened 

 that the outbreak of grasshoppers was a matter pretty well understood 

 by the county agents and it was possible to organize a fairly effective 

 campaign on short notice. If the outbreak had been of some new 

 pest, such as, for instance, the Hessian fly, which during 1924 was 

 found in the eastern portion of the State, then the situation would 

 have been quite different and it would have been impossible to or- 

 ganize an effective campaign without having an assistant in the 

 position during the whole year. It should not be necessary for the 

 state of Montana to go through such an experience again. Two things 

 should be done. First, an amendment to the State Entomologist law 

 should be passed making it legal for this office to expend such sums 

 as the legislature may from time to time appropriate. An effort was 

 made to get this amendment passed during the last session of the 

 legislature but the matter did not come up until a late date and we did 

 not succeed in getting the measure through. Second, an adequate 

 appropriation should be made which will enable us to meet emergen- 

 cies and to carry on the regular routine work of the office which in 

 itself is absolutely necessary in order that we may be able to meet 

 emergencies when they arise. It is quite impossible to maintain this 

 kind of service without having an organization intact all of the time. 

 We can not expect to secure the services of a competent person to do 

 this work on short notice. Such people are already occupied and the 

 continued service of an assistant, whom we have known as the Assistant 

 State Entomologist in our organization, is necessary in order that we 

 may be informed of conditions in the State and be in position to meet 

 emergencies when they arise. There might be a year in which there 

 was no outstanding emergency, such as a grasshopper outbreak, but 

 such would only afford us an opportunity to more effectively prepare 

 ourselves for the serious situations which do arise nearly every year. 

 We need information at all times from the four corners of the State 

 and this can be secured only by organized, aggressive work. More- 

 over, there is always a host of lesser pests, the damage from which 

 in the aggregate amounts to large sums of money. When emergencies 

 exist these minor affairs are largely neglected. In other words, in 

 the past we have been driven by circumstances and have not been per- 

 mitted to organize our work and drive forward in a comprehensive 



