The producers news., 1927-07-15
MALTA ELIMINATES
MOSQUITO PEST BY
.OILING WATER POOLS
Milk River Valley Town Defeats An
cient Foe in Fight Opened By Com
mercial Club; Farmers Aid in Cam
paign.


malta has made a success of its
campaign to eliminate the mosquito
from that section of the Milk River
valley" said Charles D. Greenfield of
the agricultural development depart
ment OF the Great Northern railway,
when IN Great Falls Friday night. Mr..
Greenfield came to Great Falls from
Malta, where he spent several days
earlier in the week.
For number of years." he con-
tInued, "a serious drawback in the
MIX River valley has been the pest
OF mosquitoes during the summer.
The Malta territory was one of the
worst affected. The situation was so
bad that 1t was difficult to keep farm
labor, especially in the beet fields,
Whlle the adverse advertising was
very damaging. But the Commercial
club OF Malta has proved beyond all
douot That a real campaign against
the pest will bring results.
The story of the fight waged by
the Malta Commercial club against
the mosquito may be of value to 9TH
ed sections of Montana. Last April,
Secretary I. ]. Larson of the Com
merclal club and County Agent H. T.
Lantz brought to the attention of
the organization the adeisability of
making an effort to rid the section of
mosquitoes. The people of the town
raised fund of S135 and ]. R. Par
ker and G. B. Phillips, entomologists
OF the state college, were asked to
visit Malta and give advice on the
conduct of the proposed campaign.
They came, looked over the country
and made recommendations In adj
dItlon, the advice of Prof. Eric
Hearle, who has a nationwide repu-
tatlon IN connection with the elimina-
ton OF insect pests, was solicited.
Professor Hearle's home is at Indian
Head, Sask.
With the $135, 500 gallons of
crude oil was purchased and in addi-
ton the garages contributed waste
crankcase oil. Secretary Larson and
members of the Commercial club
started the active campaign of oiling
the water pools in the immediate Vi
entity of Malta. Elmer johnson. sig-
nal man for the Great Northern. did
the work along the railroad right
ot-way and the farmers cooperated
sincerely, as did also Pat Manahan
of the Malta Water service. The
success of the campaign depended on
the use of oil early in the season, be-
fore the wigglers had been Matched.
1t was particularly bad season
TO make a successful campaign. be-
cause OF the unusual rainfall. Pools
were formed in many places where
IN ordinary years there was no water.
According to Secretary Larson. the
campaign could not have been a suc-
cess had not the farmers co-operated
lOO per cent. Within a radius of four
miles of Malta the farmers were en-
ilsted. They were furnished the oil.
Told how to use it, and they did the
1T was only a little while after
the work started until the farmers
mad begun to realize that thew were
waglng a successful fight. Almost
every day a farmer would dron info
che commercial club office and ask
tiOAS Oll, having found a new
breeding place of mosquitoes. Invari-
aoly the farmers would report that
they were getting wigglers bv the
million. ~ 'ile
Until this year, the most active
business in Malta and vicinity has
been the waving of arms to beat off
mosquitoes. ]. spent several davs and
night in Malta this week and the town
Is as free of mosquitoes as if it were
the middle of the winter. Malta has
shown how the mosquito pest can he
eradicated and there is little oI,eS-
ton but other sections of the Min,
RIVER valley will follow its examnIe
next year.
With the success of the work as-
taollshed, the business men of MaIta
propose to contribute 81, 900 next sea-
son and carry on a more extensive
campaign. The figb5 on the nest will
De extended next year from Bowdoin
TO Dodson dam. A man will be en,-
ployed to have direct charge of the
campaign and give all of his time to
II during the Matching season."
"A ~