Belt Valley times. [volume] (Armington, Mont.) 1894-1977, 1922-11-16
CHRISTOPHER WAR
SAVES HUGE TOTAL
CAMPAIGN or 1922 IN MONTANA
is TOLD IN COUNTY AGENT
SUMMARY
10 CARLOADS OF BAIT USED
Work Of Protecting Crops Draws Co
operation Of fo,etf Farmers In
q CountEc&-HaIf Million
Acres Treated

-
Montana has become acquainted with
numerous forms Of war, the cost, their
value, the men employed and the
ground covered, but few Montana peo-
pie know the story OF the most unique
war ever wnged In this state, q war
that has now halted because OF winters
armistice. On the desk Of the county
agent leader Of the Montana Extension
Service at Bozenan Is the statistical
story of the 1922 war against the grass
hopper in this state. a story that invites
reading in spite Of the fact that II
consists of figures alone.
Entomologists of the Montana Elk
pertinent Station last winter warned
farmers that the grasshopper situation
would be bad In 1872 many farmers
and communities needed the warning
and were spared heavy loss; others
ignored the warning and paid a heavy
cost. Before the end of the season of
1922 in this state 10.611 farmers In %
counties had resorted to poisoned bait
In nm attempt to check the devastation
Of grnsshoppers. Where the bait was
used In time, little damage was report
ed; where IL was used late damage
necessarily was caused. County
agents and county officials helped in
most counties IN getting action early
enough TO prevent severest damage.
Bran Is the base OF the poisoned
bait, arsenic being used as the poison,
molasses as a binder and nmyl acetate
as the attracting agent. A few other
less important elements are used. To
get this bait mixed county agents and
other local leaders held 106 mixing
demonstrations and 81 spreading dem
constructions in 1922. Attending the mix
ing demonstrations were 1856 farmers
who in turn went back to their COM
munities 10 help others. At the spread
Ing demonstrations TAT local leaders
were trained In order that they might
return TO their communities and help
with only % of the counties having
county agents.
This great mass of poisoned bran
42S,429 acres of crop land and
nm additional 31.452 acres Of pasture
land. In % counties where county
agents were employed. The work of
supervising the mixing and distribution
Of bait was one Of the heaviest tasks
by the county agents this past
season. County agents were almost
exclusively made managers of the coun-
" campaign and through a careful
Of buying saved thousands OF
In the purchase of materials.
Seventy. carloads of bait were used In
Montana in 1922.
The total cost of such a campaign in
Montana can be measured only through
comparison with the saving made. or
he results obtained. Care was taken to
heck up with the farmers their esti-
saving through distribution of
he bait. and In every instance the most
modest estimate possible was used.
This estimate shows that farmers
,ver the state reported that for every
lollar spent in the grasshopper cam
OF 1922 a saving of $29.49 was
made on the crop. This amount varies
farmers who reported that
ate distribution had made practically
% protection for their crop and those
vho got to work earlier and reported
hat bait distribution has almost COM
letely prevented crop loss through
~rasshoppers.
County agents and local farm lead
know the old truth that money
pent is easier TO count than money
as saved. Many people In
that have carried on grasshop-
er campaigns have been worried that
county should have been forced to
from one to three or four thous-
.ds OF dollars in this work, and they
inclined TO worry more because
hey cannot see the saving totalled up
n any public cnsh register.
Yet every dollar reported saved is
saved. Without the campaign
re total money coming into the county
-om sale Of crops would have been cut
' Just the amount now reported "sav-
T.. That much more crop money is In
e hands of farmers, making Its way q
to banks, into the storesia nd into in I
Ividual pockets all over the county. t
nrmers who have used the bait, used ]
early. and used IT carefully are en- n
Iusiastic after the great war Of 1922 e
which county agents played the part t
mighty modest but mighty busy t
aft officers.