6 MONTANA EXPEEIMENT STATION BULLETIN 269 



to the contrary. The Montana Agricultural Experiment Station is 

 investigating some of tliese pests of shade and shelterbelt trees and 

 new methods of control based upon reliable information will bo made 

 known as fast as they can be developed. 



INSECTS AND ECONOMICS 



It is perhaps true that in a time when farmers may be losing 

 jnoney on every bushel of grain produced and on every animal sent 

 1o market, no justification, based solely on economic return, can 

 be made for insect control work. We realize that although insects, 

 next to dry weather, are the greatest hazard to the grain crops of 

 Montana, nevertheless right now if not a leaf were ever touched l»y 

 an insect, it would make little difference in the economic condition 

 of the farming industry. In spite of this critical situation the need 

 of the individual farmer to save his crops was such that nearl.y 

 $20,000 was spent during the summer of 1932 for chemicals to 

 combat various insect pests. The requests for information ort 

 insects have not decreased; in the past two summers, which were bad 

 insect years all over the country, such requests have increased. 

 Agricultural production depends on the successful control of the 

 environment. Even if we have to drop back during the next few 

 years to "agriculture as a way of living," the insect problem will 

 continue to beset us, and possibly become even more important. 



OUTLOOK FOR CUTWORMS IN 1933 

 Pale Western Cutworm — Agrofis orihogonia Morr 



More widespread infestations of the pale western cutworm were 

 experienced in grain in 1932 than in any season since 1921. Ex- 

 tensive crop damage resulted in most of the northern part of 

 A'alle.y County, in the Judith Basin, in western Fergus County, 

 and in western Gallatin County. Light, scattering infestations were 

 recorded from many other sections. A few thousand acres of grain, 

 together with a small acreage of corn, cultivated mustard, and flax, 

 ^vere completely destroyed by the cutworms, and reports show that 

 140,000 acres of crop were noticeably damaged. (See figure 1.) 

 Favorable moisture conditions early in the season enabled grain 

 to get such a start that light or moderate infestations of the cut- 

 worm did not completely take the crops in most instances. 



The very serious outbreak of the pale western cutworm in 

 1919-21 followed the drv vears of 1918 and 1919. Studies made 



