FIFTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT OF STATE ENTOMOLOGIST 20:i 



mans, was placed in the field and kept there through the larger part 

 of the season. Mr. A. L. Strand, who graduated from the entomology 

 course of the college in 1917, was also employed and sent out to 

 direct the farmers in pest control. Two senior students, 'Sir. Corkins 

 and Mr. King, were also emplo}ed in this work at times. As a 

 result, the State was quite well covered and all of the most important 

 outbreaks w^ere visited and the farmers in each instance were helped. 

 During the year the State entomologist prepared and delivered 

 at the annual meeting of the American Association of Economic 

 Entomologists, at Pittsburgh, Pa., an address entitled "Economic 

 Entomology in the Service of the Nation." This appeared in the 

 Journal of Economic Entomology, Volume 11, pages 16 to 27. 



COOPERATION WITH THE EXTENSION SERVICE 



The extension service of the college does not employ an ento- 

 mologist and it has not contributed to the control of insect pests. 

 It has been the policy of the State entomologist's olifice to cooperate 

 heartily with the extension service and to keep in close touch with 

 the county agricultural agents and with their State leader. Accord- 

 ingly, we have received many telegrams, letters, and telephone 

 messages from county agents, asking for advice or calling for assist- 

 ants to be sent to their counties to aid the farmers. 



THE GRASSHOPPER OUTBREAK OF 1917 

 During the fall of 191 G reports reached this office indicating that 

 grasshoppers had been abundant during the summer in the Flathead 

 Indian Reservation in the northern part of Missoula County. County- 

 agents of the surrounding counties were warned and steps were 

 taken to do everything possible during the spring to prevent or 

 reduce the damage that might reasonably be expected in 1917. Assist- 

 ant State Entomologist H. L. Seamans made a thorough survey of 

 the situation in the early spring. 



On the occasion of the first trip, in the middle of April, eggs 

 had been found in abundance and on this early date dead grasshop- 

 pers of the previous year could be found, as well as evidence of the 

 damage that had been done to winter wheat. Eggs were found in 

 ditch banks, fence rows, especially around alfalfa and clover fields. 

 With many of these eggs were found an abundance of ground beetle 

 larvae and adults (Harpalus sp.). The first grasshopper eggs 

 hatched, so far as our records show, about ]\Iav 15th. 



