The Carbon County news. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1924-1931, 1925-04-09
MONTANA SITE COLLEGE OFFICIALS
ATTEND LOUISIANA POTATO TOUR
Indian Boys Are Going in For Poultry Raising on
Grow Reservation. Grasshoppeg Damage in
Montana Steadily Decreasing.

+. Nj. Harrington. horticultural al
Montana State College and Gerard
Dewitt, certified seed potato grower
of Malta, are representing the potato
growers Of Montana in the annual
Louisiana potato tour being held this
month. The potato tour is taken part
n by representatives Of potato grow
ers from northern seed producing
states for the purpose Of acquaintina
them with the southern demand.
In addition to the potato tour, which
will take the Montana representatives
to the important potato growing sec
tions Of Louisiana, there will be an
opportunity to review the production
tests being conducted By the Louisiana
Experiment Station. In these tests,
samples of great many strains of
potatoes from the various seed produc-
mig states are grown in check plots to
determine their value under southern
conditions In The tests in previous
years, certain atfains Of Montana's
certified Bliss Triumph seed have
given better reaults than potatoes
from any other state.
The present efforts on the part Of
the potato seed growers of the state
is to familiarize Louisiana growers
with the merits Of Montana stock.
The Louisiana experiment tests have
provided the best possible talking
points for the Montana product and
the purpose Of present efforts Is TO
create a further demand among the
commercial growers. A new venture
started this year was the distribution
of a carload Of Montana's certified
seed potatoes among boys and girls
potato club members. In this way the
Montana strains are given try-npts
under actual farm conditions ani are
distributed widely over The stas Mon
tana's representatives Will ha IN ops
porhnity Of Aoting the course this
effort is taking.
The Montana Development Associa-
tion, which has taken leading part IN
developing certified seed potato pro-
duction in the state. Is sending Mr..
Harrington and commercial orsnni1a-
tions in northern Montana are send
ing Mr.. Dewitt.
Indian boys are going In for poul-
try raising at Prior on the Crow res
ervation, according to word received
by Charles +. Potter, state club fcadp
err That the young Indians are en-
thusiastic over their proposed project
is indicated by the clause in thFir
agreement binding them to The organ
ization of poultry club, which
/ pledges the club members to take care
of the flock of any member who is
compelled to be absent for "reao NJ
able" length Of time. To preclude
the possibility Of anyone leavlas the
care of his flock with the rest OF the
members clause is inserted to the
effect that If member is gone for
an unreasonable" length Of time his
flock shall be divided among The other
members.
The enthusiasm for All club work
organized with the efforts Of Martha
L. Eder, county club leader for Big
Horn county, and the immediate ac-
tiyity resulting in the organization
of the poultry club came as scsilt
I Of recent visit to the reservation
by Mr.. Potter. Big Horn county has
taken leading part in the develop
ment Of commercial poultry projects,
and recently won the county troph !
at the State Egg Show at Butte.
There are IA signatures to the pre-
liminary agreement which will result
in the formal organization Of the poul-
ltry club, and each member pledges his
best efforts toward carrying out his
project. The State College has fuIn-
ished bailding plans for poultry
houses. Rhode Island Reds have been
selected for the club work. Plans are
already under way for rather extern
.siye club exhibits at local and district
fairs next fall DR.. r. G. Holgate will
I be the lacol club leader.
Grasshopper damage in Montana
has been steadily decreasing for the
past three years and entomologists
are Of the opinion that the decrease
will continue for the coming season.
1t has become possible to locate quite
definitely the areas Of probable grass
hopper outbreak through the determ-
ination Of egg beds during the fall
and winter. Conclusions arrived at
from the study of egg beds in the fall
of 1923 as to the location and extent
of grasshopper outbreaks were con-
firmed during the season Of 1924.