LETTHK OF TliAN:SMlTTAL 



Bozemaii, ]\foutana, 

 Peoemhi'i- .HI, 1934 

 To His Excelloncy, 

 Governor Frank H. Cooney 

 Helena, Montana. 

 -My Dear Sir: 



I present, herewith tlie Twenty-Fifth Report of the State Entomologist. 

 By law the entomologist of Montana State College and Agricultural Ex- 

 periment Station is the State Entomologist. It is his duty to direct control 

 measures against destructive insect pests. In the thirty-two years since this 

 office was created there h.Ts never been a time when it was more badly needed 

 or served a greater number of the people of ]\rontanu tlian in 19.3-1. 



In Xovember, 1933, the worst grasshopper outbreak in the liistory of the 

 state was predicted. The State Entomologist, cooperating with the entomol- 

 ogists of other western states that were facing the same predicament, and 

 especially with the U. S. Bureau of Entomology, jirepared the estimates on 

 Avhich a federal appropriation was obtained for grasslmpper contrdl. As shown 

 in the body of the report he acted as state leader in charge of the campaign. 

 The following summary shows somewhat the extent of the work: 



Xumber of counties engaged in grasshopper control ~>l 



Carload shipments of poisoned bait 940 



Tons of bait moved into the counties 19,509 



Tons of bait actually used ir),2-')4 



(This means 67,000,000 pounds of finished bait) 



Minimum number of farmers using bait 20,805 



Xumber of mechanical bait spreaders used 2,665 



Acres of land treated 3,320,405 



The actual amount of crop destroyed by grasshoppers was very small when 

 you consider the extremely heavy infestations which had to be combated. 

 In the non-drought counties it is estimated by the great majority of farmers 

 themselves that nearly total loss of crop would have resulted if the grass- 

 hoppers had not been poisoned. A most conservative valuation on the crop 

 saved is $7,500,000. 



There is in storage in the state now enough poisoned bait to take care 

 of the expected grasshopper infestations in 1935. There is this important con- 

 sideration which should not be overlooked. In 1934 the State Entomologist 

 had three assistants on federal salary and federal expense to aid in the 

 supervision of tlie work. Needless to say, with an appropriation of $300 no 



