TWENTY-SIXTH REPORT OF STATE ENTOMOLOGIST 23 



the most opportune time. The division of costs would be three- 

 fifths federal government and two-fifths county. 



Following the cricket meeting in Pocatello, the entomol- 

 ogists of 22 western and middle western states, together with 

 many of the commissioners of agriculture of those states, met 

 at Omaha, Nebraska, on December 4-5, 1936, to consider the 1937 

 grasshopper work. The proposal was made that the Congress 

 of the United States create a fund of $5,000,000 to be adminis- 

 tered by the Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine of 

 the United States Department of Agriculture and used to finance 

 control operations against insects of regional importance, such as 

 grasshoppers, chinch bugs, etc. Each succeeding congress would be 

 asked to replenish this fund to its original amount. During 

 some years none of this fund would be used. Decision relative 

 to the species of insects against which the fund could be em- 

 ployed would rest with a technical committee appointed by the 

 Secretary of Agriculture. The plan has rather wide support 

 and is very likely to be adopted. Its chief merit is that it 

 would make possible timely and concerted action against insects 

 which affect whole agricultural regions. It would place the 

 work on a sound basis instead of putting the control of such 

 insects on an emergency basis, often with appropriations of 

 money made too late in the year to give effective control. 



If this plan receives favorable action by congress, money 

 would be available for the control of both grasshoppers and 

 crickets. However, to be of much value for cricket control in 

 1937, the measure would have to pass congress by March 15 to 

 April 1 at the latest. With some doubt as to this possibility, 

 the intermountain states are asking a special appropriation for 

 cricket control should it become evident that the $5,000,000 fund 

 will be delayed. In case a special cricket appropriation is ob- 

 tained, the suggested cooperative arrangement between the federal 

 government and the counties would likely hold; if the larger fund is 

 released in time for crickets that will not be the case. Certain 

 commitments by counties will undoubtedly be required, however, 

 such as the cost of operating mixing stations and local trans- 

 portation in the case of both grasshoppers and crickets, and the 

 additional cost for the establishment of camps in the case of 

 crickets. 



