ye MONTANA EXPERIMENT STATION 



November, 1898. Reference was made to extensive dying of the 

 white pine, and specimens of insects sent from the bark of the 

 dying trees included a Dendroctonus beetle which proved to be 

 a new species and was later described under the name Dendroctonus 

 monticolae. 



"This report led to my engagement, in the spring of 1899, to 

 make a special trip through the Pacific Coast States and Idaho, un- 

 der Dr. Howard's instructions, to study the forest insects of that 

 region. This was the beginning of the work on forest insects as 

 one of the special features of the Division of Entomology. 



"While general investigations have been conducted in all the 

 Western States since 1902, no special work was done in Montana 

 until in the spring of 1909, when a demonstration of methods of 

 controlling the mountain pine beetle was conducted on private, state 

 and federal lands in and adjacent to the Jefferson National Forest. 



"Investigations by an Agent of the Bureau. Mr. Josef Brunner. 

 showed that about 3^000 pine trees had been killed by the beetle 

 in five years, and that about 1,500 were infested in the spring of 

 1909. Under my special recommendations and instructions, carried 

 out by Mr. Brunner in co-operation with private owners and the 

 Forest Service, 1,355 trees were felled and barked in such a manner 

 as to destroy about 85 per cent of the insects. The cost averaged 

 30 cents per tree and the Avork was finished in July before the bee- 

 tle began to emerge. 



''Information up to the spring of 191 1 shows that the control 

 was complete, thus demonstrating the practicability of controlling 

 this most destructive insect enemy of the pine forests of Montana. 



"Mr. Brunner conducted general investigations on the character 

 and extent of insect depredations on private. State and national 

 forest lands of the State, until September, 1909, when Forest Insect 

 Field Station i was located at Columbia Falls, Montana, with i^^Ir. 

 Brunner in charge. 



"Since that time, Mr. Bnmncr. Avith a corps of from three to six 

 field agents, has been very active in conducting special demonstra- 

 tions on methods of protecting the forests from the great waste of 

 forest resources caused by insects. 



"The princi])al work done has been in two demonstration pro- 

 jects; one. in co-operation with small owners of timber l.-md in 



