14 SUMMARY ANNUAL REPORT 



ture. Fruit growers' meetings have been held from time to time and 

 horticultural subjects discussed and horticultural knowledge dissem- 

 inated. 



In co-operation with the Department of Entomology of the State 

 college an experimental spray program of considerable magnitude was 

 conducted in an orchard tract donated for the purpose by the University 

 Heights Farms Co. Methods for the control and eradication of all the 

 known pests and diseases threatening the state's horticultural interests 

 were demonstrated and particularly the Colorado leaf-roller, which for 

 a time threatened to wipe out the apple industry of the Bitter Root 

 valley. Practical methods have been worked out assuring a 90 to 95 

 per cent control. This work was in charge of Dr. W. S. Regan of the 

 State college and the machinery, materials and spray crew were fur- 

 nished by the Department of Agriculture. During the fruit packing sea- 

 son the department's inspectors have given instructions and demonstra- 

 tions of how to grade and pack. 



Shipping" Point Inspection: The potato and apple inspection under 

 joint state and federal agreement should be continued. The principle 

 of establishing the grade of a product at shipping point is to be pre- 

 ferred over the old system which permits the receiver to establish 

 the grade. Montana's geographic position in regard to market centers 

 makes it necessary that high standards be maintained and we should 

 avoid paying a high freight rate over a long haul on a low grade 

 product. Shipping point inspection will help the producer out of many 

 of his difficulties. 



State Pnblioations: Policies 



Commencing this season, three publications will be issued by the 

 Division of Labor and Publicity of the Department of Agriculture, for 

 general distribution and to answer inquiries, in addition to smaller 

 pamphlets. 



The Montana Farm Review, compiled by the federal and state 

 co-operative crop reporting service will be a statistical and graphic 

 history of agriculture in Montana and will give production by counties. 

 It will be issued annually. 



Resources of Montana: An illustrated publication for homeseekers 

 and investors with all information presented by counties. 



Vacation Land: An illustrated publication devoted to Montana's 

 scenic and recreational resources. 



Encourage Land Settlement: So far as homeseekers are concerned 

 the time has passed when generalities will make an appeal strong 

 enough to induce them to remove to Montana. Competition for the 

 right kind of settlers is keener than ever before, and because Montana 

 has made no provision for obtaining authentic, detailed and specific in- 

 formation for homeseekers, it is falling behind such states as Minne- 

 sota, Wisconsin, Michigan and many of the older states in the east. 

 For instance, nearly all these other states, in their land settlement 

 programs inlude detailed soil surveys and climatological data. This 

 information enables the prospective settler to determine where he can 

 best follow hte particular type of farming he has in mind, and it prac- 

 tically insures him from going upon a piece of land where failure is 

 foredoomed. Practically no data of this kind are available in Montana 

 at present. The only available soil survey covers the Bitter Root 

 Valley. There are 21 counties in the state where official mean precipi- 

 tation and temperature records are not to be had. 



The publications this division has issued are useful to introduce 

 the resources and possibilities of the state, but the detailed, follow-up 

 information required for a successful land settlement program is not 

 available. The foundation should be laid for a systematic campaign 

 to get in touch with desirable settlers, through small classified adver- 



