Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1942-06-05

ing through the State college Of
agriculture, the farmers extension
service, the state department Of
agriculture and the county farm
agents Of the several counties,
either independently or In CO.
operation with the federal govern
ment, for the eradication Of the
grasshopper pest, are but modern
repetitions of similar efforts made
in years past, before Montana's ad-
mission TO statehood.
Reference to publications issued
years ago bring out the fact that the
grasshopper plague is not new to Mon
tana, nor to others of the western
states, but that the plague was so
general in the seventies rs to bring
about the appointment of q federal
commission to investigate the sources
and routes OF migrations of the grass
hoppers.
In the seventies, although the grass
hopper was referred to by many as a
graSshopper, it was classed by the gov
eminent as the Rocky mountain locust
because of its origin in the states ly-
ing along the Rocky mountains. Mon
tana appears to have been one of the
principal breeding grounds of this
vegetation devourer and the source of
many immense swarms which migrated
into the states to the south and south
east.
Commission Investigates
In 1877, 1878 and 1879 an entomo-
logical commission composed of A. S.
Packard Jr., Charles v. Riley and
Cyrus Thomas, provided for by a con-
gressional appropriation, made a study
of the locust in the western and noun
tain states for the purpose of devising
the best means of subduing the locust
In It's permanent breeding grounds
with view to preventing its migra-
ton into the fertile portions Of the
trans Mississippi country.
This commission issued two printed
reports of which the second covered
the, years, 1873 and 1879.
The volume, containing 420 pages
together with number of large maps
and colored pages, opens with a pref
ace from which the following Is taken
This second report Of the commits
sion on the Rocky mountain locust Is
the result chiefly Of the labors OF
Packard and Thomas, in their efforts
to solve a most difficult problem
namely, the permanent amelioration OF
the locust evil by preventing the ex-
cessive increase of the destructive in
sect in its native habitat. and its dis
astrous migrations therefrom.
During the year, 1873, the labors OF
the commission were seriously inter-
fered with, first by an inadequate ap-
preparation unavailable until the first
Of July; second, by the time required
of Riley in publishing our first re-
port; third, by the warlike disposition
Of the Indians that year, which rem
dered travel unsafe and sometimes
impossible in many parts Of the coun-
try to be exploited. DR.. Packard visited
portions Of Colorado, Wyoming, Utah
and Idaho, and also received informa-
ton from others regarding the pres
ence of locusts in these territories, and
especially in Montana and eastern
Oregon. He found that this was q
normal year, and the locust was found
to occur throughout all these terri
tories in greater or lesser numbers, but
usually only in scattering swarms
still, damage of serious nature was
done to crops in portions of Montana
and Utah.
HE found that in eastern Idaho To-
Gusts were abundant from the Utah
line to the Montana line, especially at
Franklin and at Taylor's bridge, and
local swarms were noticed about Sho-
shone lake. In Montana, local swarms
were destructive to farms on Sinking
Water river and Ryan's canyon and
about Bozeman and Sterling as well
as Deer Lodge. They were also album
dant at Virginia City and on Sun
river and on the upper Missouri be-
tween Helena and Fort Benton. They
were also observed locally in the re-
gion south of Yellowstone park"
Under the caption: THE locust in
Montana In 1875" the report reads:
From the statements of r. N. Suth-
erlin, editor of the Rocky Mountain
tory was not seriously molested by in
vading locusts in 1878, as he writes:
Those that Matched out in March,
April and May did some damage in a
portion of Gallatin valley and the
Missouri and Prickly Pear valleys, but
when they took wings they were for
tunately carried away from us, nearly
all the swarms going beyond the terri
torial boundary. Their course was
towards the southwest. In the extreme
southern part of the country that is
cultivated upper Ruby Valley, a small
farming district, few swarms stopped
just as the oat fields were heading
out, and did great deal of damage.
After getting taste, they seemed con-
tented to remain, and did so, deposit
ing many eggs. In a portion of Gal
latin valley there were few swarms
that stopped and deposited eggs. Ex-
cept the valleys above named, there
have been no eggs deposited this year.
Crops were generally good, and the
value of the grain very large. A few
farmers in the sections named above
suffered, but after all the suffering
was light compared to former years. "
The report then quotes two Montana
newspapers, as follows:
Immigrant grasshoppers have made