TWENTY-SECOND REPORT OF STATE ENTOMOLOGIST 7 



Although the State Entomologist law authorizes the payment 

 of both the salary and the traveling expenses of the Assistant 

 State Entomologist, his salary is at present paid by the Exten- 

 sion Service since his work makes it unnecessary to employ an 

 Extension Specialist in Entomology. His traveling expenses 

 are paid from the State Entomologist fund. 



DOES INSECT CONTROL WORK PAY? 



When State funds are used for any purpose the taxpayer 

 very naturally is inclined to ask "Does it pay?" 



It is difficult to make even an approximate guess as to 

 how much the services of the State Entomologist's office have 

 saved the farmers of Montana. Each year hundreds of letters 

 are received from individuals who wish to know how to stop 

 insect damage of various kinds. Their letters are answered, 

 and information is given through the press to hundreds of 

 others. This information is bound to result in the saving of 

 considerable money but it is so scattered that it would be foolish 

 to even guess at the amount. 



During insect outbreaks in which large acreages are in- 

 volved much more definite ideas of the value of insect control 

 can be obtained. During such campaigns county agents and 

 others keep an account of the number of acres treated and the 

 percentage of control obtained. By knowing the approximate 

 acre value of the crop a rather close estimate can be made as 

 to the saving effected. Some of the most outstanding insect 

 outbreaks in which definite data are available as to the amount 

 saved, are as follows: 



Army cutworm, 1915, estimated saving $ 450,000 



Grasshoppers, 1921-1924, estimated saving... 5,391,300 

 Mormon crickets, 1927, estimated saving 120,000 



$5,961,300 

 These three items alone give a total saving of farm crops 

 \alued at close to six million dollars while the appropriations 

 for the work of the State Entomologist since the office was 

 created in 1903 total about $40,000. It would be difficult to 

 point to any other expenditure of State funds which has re- 

 turned as great a saving for the money invested. 



