The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1923-12-07

A CTIVITIES of the state an
n county administrations of Mon
4 = tana working through the stat
' college of agriculture, the farmers
/, extension service, the state depart
ment of agriculture and the count,
farm agents of the several counties
either independently or in coopera
ton with the federal government
, for the eradication of the grasshoppel
pest of recent years, are but modern
repetitions of similar efforts made il
years past, before Montana's admis
sion to statehood.
Reference to publications issued
years ago bring out the fact that the
grasshopper plague is not new to
Montana, nor to others of the western
states, but that the plague was so
general in the seventies as to bring
about the appointment of federal
commission to investigate the sources
and routes of nigrations of the grass
hoppers.
In the seventies, although the
grasshopper was referred to by many
as a grasshopper, it was classed by
tain locust because of its origin in
the states lying along the Rocky
mountains. Montana appears to
have been one of the principal breed
ing grounds of this vegetation de-
vourer and the source of many i'm
mense swarms which migrated into
the states to the south and south
east.
Commission Investigates
In 1877, 1873 and 1879 an ento-
biological commission composed of
A. S. Packard, Jr., Charles V. Riley
and Cyrus Thomas, provided for by a
congressional appropriation, made a
study of the locust in the western and
mountain states for the purpose of
devising the best means of subduing
the locust in its permanent breeding
grounds with view to preventing
its migration into the fertile portions
of the trans-Mississipp country.
This commission issued two print |
ed reports of which the second cover |
ed the years 1878 and 1879.
The volume, containing 420 pages
together with a number of large maps |
and colored pages, opens with pref
ace from which the following is ta-
ken:
"This second report of the commits
sion on the Rocky mountain locust is
the result chiefly of the labors of
Messrs. Packard and Thomas, in their
efforts to solve a most difficult prob
lem, namely, the permanent anchor
alton of the locust evil by preventing
49, - ho |
i've insect in its native habitat, and
is disastrous migrations therefrom.
During the year 1878 the labors
If the commission we're seriously in
erfered with, first by an inadequate
appropriation unavailable until the
irst of July; second, by the time re-
luired of Mr.. Riley in publishing our
irst report; third, by the warlike dis
position of the Indians that year, /,
which rendered travel unsafe and
ometimes impossible in many parts
f the country to be exploited. DR..
packard visited portions of Colorado,
Wyoming, Utah and Idaho, and also
eceived information from others re-
arding the presence of locusts in {
hese territories, and especially in .
Iontana and eastern Oregon. Hel !.
ound that this was a normal year,
nd the locust was found to occur :
throughout all these territories in :
reater or lesser numbers, but usual III
: only in scattering swarms; still, III
amage of serious nature was done II
, crops in portions of Montana and II
tab Ill
Locust in This Section
"He found that in eastern Idaho
Gusts were abundant from the Utah
ne to the Montana line, especially at
rankin and at Taylor's bridge, and
cal swarms were noticed about Sho-
lone Lake. In Montana, local
YARNS were destructive to farms on
linking Water river and Ryan's
anon and about Bozeman and Sterl-
g as well as Deer Lodge. They were
so abundant at Virginia City and
i Sun river and on the Upper Mis-
uri between Helena and Fort Ben
n. They were also observed local
in the region south of Yellowstone
trk."
Under the caption: ''The locust in
ontana in 1878" the report reads:
From the statements of r. N.
CulIOl VI Tic IbOChy hOuA-
In Husbandman, we learn that this
rritory was not seriously molested
invading locusts in 1878, as he
ties:
"Those that Matched out in March,
ril and May did some damage in
portion of Gal1atin valley and the
ssouri and Prickly Pear valleys,
when they took wings they were
carried away from us,
arly all the swarms going beyond
!, territorial boundary Their
lrse was towards the southwest.
the extreme southern part of the
lntry that is cultivated upper
by Valley, small farming dis
It, few swarms stopped just as
oat fields were heading out, and
a great deal of damage. After
ting taste, they seemed content
to remain, and did so, depositing
ny eggs. In portion of Gallatin
ley there were few swarms that
oped and deposited eggs. Except
valleys above named, there have
n no eggs deposited this year,
ps were generally good, and the
lie of the grain very large a few