Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-06-22
ORGANIZE FOR WAR
AGAINST HOPPERS
IN NORTH COUNTRY
Farmers Hold Mass Meetings
to Prepare for Poisoning
Pests.
Snecial to The Tribune.

Special to The Tribune.
Malta, June 21.-With a total at
tendance of 524 farmers at three coun-
ty-wide grasshopper meetings ana
demonstrations held last week at Malta,
Dodson and Saco under the auspices
of the county agents office and with
the arrival of initial supplies of ma
terial with which to start the work.
the fight against the pest in Philips
county has been launched and although
the number of farmers who are actual
ly being damaged by hoppers are at
the present time very small, large
numbers of farmers are securing ma
terial for use in case of emergency:
When it appeared about 10 days
ago that grasshoppers might get ser-
GUS in some portions of the county an
emergency meeting of the 20 grasshop-
per committeeman from the - organ
lied communities was called and as a
result of a conference with the county
commissioners the county voted to CO.
operate with the farm bureau TO the
fullest extent possible.
County Levy Limited
Due to the fact that the state law
limits the commissioners to a one-naiI
mill levy for this purpose 1t was the
general consensus of opinion OF all
those present at the meeting that the
best manner in which to handle the
work would be to have the county sell
the material at cost to the farmers.
Initial supplies of crude arsenic. ba-
mana oil and crude molasses were I'M
mediately ordered and special farm
bureau committees were appointed to
interview dealers of the county who
have agreed TO handle bran at cost.
This was followed by the calling OF
three countrywide meetings and demon
STATIONS in the towns of Malta. Dod-
son and Saco. which were held last
week under the auspices of the county
agents office. Project meetings of the
g~rasshopper committeemen tributary to
each town were held in the ~forenoons
and the general plan for launching the
campaign was formulated. In the art
ernoon mass meetings of the farmers
were held, at which the reports OF the
committees were heard and general
plans adopted, this being followed by
a demonstration on the mixing Of
gre shopper bait.
The plan outlined by the community
project leaders and unanimously adopt
ed at the three mass meetings calls
for the cooperation of each farmer IN
the county in caring for his W lana
and that Immediately adjoining his in
case il is idle, this to be followed By
united community action under the
supervision of the community project
leader on isolated pieces of land that
are considered a detriment to the com
munity as a whole. The cooperation
of the business men and farmers from
portions of the county where grass
hoppers are not serious has been prom
ised in cases of necessity.
Pest Not General
Present indications in this county do
not point to a general outbreak. but
farmers generally believe that with
the excellent prospects for a crop now
in sight that no efforts should be
spared to protect them against a pos
sible emergency. Large numbers OF
farmers have come to the railroad
points of the county during the last
few days TO secure material for bait
although most of them state at the
present time it is no necessary. but
that they do not wish to take any
chances on losing any part of the
excellent crop that appears in store.