The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1929-10-11
STATE COLLEGE
WEEKLY LETTER

Bozeman, Oct. Look out fC
pale western cutworms next yea,
This is the warning issued by v
b. Mabee, entomologist at MOI
tana State College, to farmers il
all parts of the state except ives
of the Rocky Mountains, eastern
and southeastern counties ant
comparatively small areas il
southern and northern Montana
A survey just completed b,
Mr.. Mabee indicates that the in
rea in cutworms during the
past season has been particularly
heavy in southern B~eaverhead
county, in a rather extended area
centering around northern Lewis
and Clark county, a smaller area
c~entering in northern Meagher,
another in northeastern Fergus,
one in north central Daniels, and
a rather large area extending
south eastward from central Vel
lowstone into Big Horn. Regions
around these centers of increase
also show some gain in cutworm
numbers yer a year ago.
The situation is not unexpect-
ed to those who have studied the
habits of the pale western cut
worm, Mr.. Mabee states. The in
sect thrives in dry weather, and
conditions in many parts of the
state have especially been favor
able for its spread during the past
season.
Mr.. Mabee has prepared a map
showing the areas OF infestation
and farmers are being advised of
the danger through county extern
sion agents. Among the sugges-
tons being given to farmers in
cutworm regions are that the pale
western cutworm cannot be con-
trolled with poison bats. The
moths lay their eggs between Au-
gust 1 and September Is and are
partial to wheat stubble, weedy
fields and loose soil. Plowless
summer fallow is a ~favorite place
for e%gg-laying. Clean summer fall
low that is untouched during the
eggIaying period usually is safe
for the following years crop.
Deep, spring blowing completed
early in May will kill many of the
young worms and will also turn
under green plants which other
wise would serve as food. Seeding
with a press drill also is recon-
mended since the worms follow
the path of least resistance in
their migrations just beneath the
surface in search of food and
avoid compact soils.
Feeding Lambs {
Ten lots of so lambs each will !
be used in experiments carried on !
at Chinook this winter to deter I
mine the best combinations of
by-products and locally
grown feeds for fattening lambs.
The Northern Montana experiment
station and the Utah-Idaho Sugar !
Co, Of Chinook are cooperating a
the work. Louis Vinke of the a
Montana experiment station Is F
directing the trials. The lambs al
'eady have been contracted for :
and feeding will start October 20.
The effort is intended to dem
Instrate how farmers and stock.
men may best utilize available
for lamb fattening, Mr..
yinke states. He points out that
one of chief advantages of sugar
beet production in the old estab-
lished areas is that it provides adj :
ditional supplies of good feed j.,
which in turn serve as the basis l
livestock feeding operations 1
which in some regions are as i'm q
,ortant as the production of beets. 4
Ut the same time the manure re- 4
ulting from the feeding opera ge
ions serves to maintain soil fer q
ility and to increase beet yields. &
Ten different rations will be z
lsed in the experiment, a differ 4
mt n for each lot of so lambs. Z
)ne lot will be fed beet pulp and n
another will get the same 3,
With the addition OF one-quarter "
'ound of %cottonseed cake per 4
cad per day; one-third of d Z
'ound of molasses will be added n
o the ration of a third lot; in =
mother one pound of barley will j.
e substituted for the molasses; *
mother lot will receive both mo- =
asses and barley along with the NJ
ulp, alfalfa and cottonseed cake. Pc
o determine whether or not the 4
ottonseed cake is necessary,
heck trials will be conducted us r
lg the same rations as above but IL
rithOuf tho naEo Tbora o1.o Ill =