BUREAU OF ENTOMOLOGY AND PLANT QUARANTINE 21 
Crop baiting drops off as spraying eases control 
The 1950 crop-baiting program was much less extensive than in 
previous years, because organic insecticides have largely supplanted 
bait, No further purchases of bait material were made from Federal 
funds. Supplies on inventory in Federal and county storage were 
furnished to farmers, transportation costs of the bran and sodium 
fluosilicate in intercounty or interstate movements being borne by the 
receiving county. Several counties bought supplies of bran, orange 
pulp, sawdust, and sodium fluosilicate or other toxicants, either for 
supplementing Federal materials or to furnish their own mixed bait 
to farmers. In all, 7,600 farmers and ranchers in 206 counties spread 
4,173 tons (dry weight) of bait on 643,000 acres of crop and pasture 
lands. Baiting gave protection to more than 2,860,000 acres of crop 
and pasture lands. Savings were estimated at $25,328,000, or approxi- 
mately $36 for each dollar spent. Despite all cooperative efforts, 
conservative estimates showed that grasshoppers had destroyed 
$19,333,000 worth of crops. Native grasslands were extensively dam- 
aged in several Western States. 
Record acreage of range lands treated 
Two and three-quarter million acres were baited or sprayed to com- 
bat damaging range infestations in Arizona, California, Idaho, Mon- 
tana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, and 
Wyoming. The Bureau cooperated with other agencies in the ex- 
tensive program. Treated areas included 2,591,000 acres of private 
range, 148,000 acres of Federal domain, and 10,000 acres of State- 
owned lands. Bureau aircraft, including a DC-3, two White Stand- 
ards, and an N3N, baited 211,500 acres. Contract aircraft baited 
2,459,000 acres and Bureau ground equipment baited 25,000 acres. In 
addition, Bureau and contract airplanes sprayed 53,000 acres. Mate- 
rials used in the range programs varied with the individual States. 
A total of 12,739 tons of bran-chlordane, bran-toxaphene, bran-orange 
pulp-chlordane oil baits, and bran-sawdust-sodium fluosilicate bait 
was used in baiting operations in all 10 States. Approximately 56,000 
gallons of aldrin and toxaphene oil solution sprays were used in three 
States. Cost to all cooperating agencies for the 1950 range-control 
programs in the 10 States was $1,583,000. 
Aldrin recommended for grasshopper control 
Extensive tests in Arizona and Montana in 1950 definitely estab- 
lished tke value of aldrin, in sprays, dusts, or baits, as an insecticide 
to control grasshoppers. In some large-scale airplane-spraying tests 
with aldrin 95 percent of the grasshoppers were dead 3 days after the 
application. High kills were common also with ground treatments. 
No adverse effects on livestock, game animals, or birds were observed 
in any of the areas sprayed with aldrin. As a result of the research, 
aldrin was included with chlordane and toxaphene in the insecticides 
recommended for grasshopper control in 1951. Aldrin is effective 
as a spray at the rate of 2 ounces in 1 gallon of fuel oil an acre or in 
dust mixtures at 3 ounces of the technical material an acre. It is also 
satisfactory in poison baits. 
