202 MO.NI'ANA i:.\ 1 'KK'l .M K.XT STATION Bui. 12i 



Leaf Cutter Bees [M c'Jdcliilc sp.). Certain species <if trees and 

 shrul)s. especially ash trees and rose hushes, suffered considerably 

 ironi the depredations of these insects. In one instance a few rose 

 bushes were almost entirely defoliated, only the midrib of the leaves 

 beino' left. 



Willow Saw-Fly {PfeTonidia venfTalif<). Willows used as shade 

 trees were rei)orted as l)einQ- seriously injured by the larvae of the 

 willow saw-tl\-. 



Pear or Cherry Slug { Jii-ioctan poidcs rcrasi Linn.). Cherry 

 trees in the western part of the State suffered from the attacks of 

 this pest. The somewhat flattened green slugs feed on the lea\es 

 and Completely skeletonize them, giving the trees a bro\vnish appear- 

 ance. 



Ants (Foriii'n-iini). Ants continue to be reported as one great 

 source of troul)le to the housekeeper. Usually a little concerted 

 action and careful use t)f carbon bisulphide will control them. 



ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY AND THE WAR 



The fact of the world's shortage of food supplies is now well 

 known by the American people. It is not as well known that insects 

 annually destroy about ten per cent of the agricultural output of 

 the nation — an amount sufficient to relie\e to a considerable extent 

 the pressure at this critical time. The hrst vear of the war brought 

 us in Montana face to face with several ratlier serious insect prol)- 

 lems. Grasshoppers, mentioned in another part of this re])ort. and 

 numerous other insects ])ecame prominent during the \ear and it 

 was apparent earlv in the season that this office could do a real 

 service by aiding- the farmers t(~) pre\'ent hisses. 



There has also gro^\•n up in recent Acars a verv li\elv interest in 

 the control of ground squirrels and naturallv this ottice had nntch 

 to do in directing the campaign against them. In manv counties 

 the County agricultural agents cooperated witli the farr.-.ers in tiie 

 preparation and (listril)Utii m of jxiisoned grain, resulting in tiie 

 destruction of hundreds of thousands and ])erhaps millions of squir- 

 rels. There can be no doubt that this one |)iece of work ah me sa\ed 

 a great deal o'f agricultural pruduce during tlie vear. 



In view of the imjxirtance of pest control work during the period 

 of the war, the de])artment took steps to organize tn meet the 

 demands for assistants, llie assistant entomolosist, Mr. 11. L. Sea- 



