| Show J i f i r Y i 1 n itt r 1 4 j 1 I C Ir Ut e W r. Yi L r r ri I n n A f 1 Iiii Ff I I I tt fI f l c r ii i. i N tf i i 1 q r t c 1 f r 7 1 i v 1 cry o as again in j BATTLE OF F THE B E p lJ Titanic ri anic Struggle Now Raging Along the Continental i Divide to Turn Back Invading Hosts o of f 4 Black lla k Insects Intent Upon De Destruction of Valued 1 C f Mountain Pine in W Western tern Ameri American an N National Park Forest Tracts I t ae o bY N y y R Y JI F 4 S. S f 4 Y d OUT in the Rocky l Mountains in Mon Mon- Montana tana there is now going on over a wide front one of the fiercest and most extraordinary battles ever waged between between between be be- tween man and insects The situation in the military like disposition disposition dis dis- position of the contending parties is unparalleled in the long history of the never-ceasing never conflict between crawling things and the lords of creation for fora a secure place In the sun sum Proceeding steadily along the western slopes of the spreading north and south is a mighty host of beetles that is killing by the millions the lodgepole lodgepole lodge lodge- pole pine The enemy's center is about fifty miles to the west of Butte Facing an almost wave of the six-legged six soldiery is a well well- equipped array of men officered by a corps of scientists that is engaged in what at times seems to be the hopeless task of preventing the enemy from going over the top of the Continental Divide as a broad solid phalanx and overrunning overrunning overrunning overrun overrun- ning the even more valuable timber of the eastern sl slopes pes And not the least interesting feature of this astonishing campaign is the many remarkably striking resemblances' resemblances it bears to the modern military operations of men even down to its having scout planes and a No Mans Man's Land THE main front extends over a length 1 of nearly miles There are several scattered quiet sectors At the present time the insect hordes are feverishly occupied in a big drive They have already reached the top of the Continental Continental Continental Conti Conti- Divide storming parties have eluded the defense patrols have filed down the gorges and passes and have consolidated strong tactical positions The strategy being used by the entomologists entomologists ento ento- urologists is by a series of flank movements movements movements move move- ments to turn if possible the beetles back over the mountains to the north Extermination is out of the question i in inthis inthis n this years year's campaign The best that ca can n possibly be hoped for is to prevent th the e insects from permanently occupying th the e rich territory of the Big Hole Basin o of Beaver Head National Forest This will probably mean that the whole of the die timberland of the East Fork Of Bitterroot Bitterroot Bitterroot Bitter Bitter- root River on the west side of the will have to be abandoned an and left to its fate at the hands of the enemy The war board of the army of the defense is headed by Dr F. F C. C Craighead specialist in forest entomology Bureau Burea u of Entomology His chief of staff is Dr William Middleton The in commander chief in the field is Dr James C. C Even Even- den The war chest and the infant infantry laborers are being provided by the Forest Forest Forest For For- est Service The Forest Service chiefs chief S Sare are Elers Elera Koch assistant forester forester forester for for- ester and C. C S. S Webb The enemy that has led to the Bureau Burea U of Entomology and the Forest Service becoming allies in this warfare is tb the mountain pine pino beetle This particularly destructive insect is a stout black cylindrical bark beetle about one-fifth one of a an n inch in length The attacking adults adult bore through the outer bark and construct construct con con- long perpendicular galleries gallerie directly between the living bark an and wood Along this gallery eggs are deposited d which soon hatch into small white grubs grub Th These se immature insects excavate at at right angles to the egg galleries sho short rt mines which terminate in cells where re the tra transformation into adult beetles beetle s takes fakes place When the newly born bora be beetles beetles bee bee- e- e ties emerge they at once set about attacking attacking attacking at- at tacking new trees These galleries or tunnels result in complete girdling of the trees which causes their death Just how bow the enemy breaks through the lines Jines is not clearly known known Of writes Dr Evenden to the war board in Wash ington A popular conception and perhaps per per- Jer- Jer haps a probable one likens it to the attack of an army in modern warfare Miles Mites ahead of the main body a few scouts appear in scattered trees throughout through through- out the area The following year strong combat patrols move up and take over the position and again scouts go forward forward forward for for- ward into new regions These patrols may establish themselves them hem selves in small groups of infested 1 trees In sheltered places or consolidate the v by bythe the positions scouts The fol fol- t o L 1 14 i. i 1 4 t rr L lowing owing year the scouts and patrols again move forward and the main b body dy of the he attack advances and takes over the in invaded invaded in in- territory The only way to stop the beetles is isto isto isto to cut down and burn the trees upon which they have settled It isa lea question of destroying the food supply of the thene ne new armies in training T L LODGEPOLE pine forests covering thousands of acres form one of the main sources of timber supply for the mining and agricultural industries s of Montana Lodgepole pine is not nota a l large rge tree In merchantable stands the bulk of the trees measure from ten to eighteen eight eight- een inches in diameter After careful study of the situation on the battle lines as now drawn between the beetle and the entomologists it t looks as if it is going to be be bea a a long war of ofa a attrition For the last twelve years great are areas s of these forests' forests have been dying from the attacks of this concealed and lit lit tle known tle-known known enemy Only by traveling through the occupied regions of the State an and seeing with o ones one's es e's own eyes the thousands of timbered acres discolored discolored dis dis- discolored colored red can the seriousness of the situation be fully visualized The great splotches and streaks of rusty-hued rusty foliage which characterize much of the lodgepole le pine forests foresh are due to the work o of the small but destructive tive black insect The dead trees turn turna a bright brown It was was in 1910 for some reason un un- unknown known own that the first outbreaks of this insect occurred at two places in Montana Montana Montana Mon Mon- tana some miles apart In 1912 13 adequate adequate- control l measures were instituted instituted instituted for the reduction of the outbreak in the Big Hole Basin National National National Na Na- Forest which very successfully checked the spread of the insects from this point Inasmuch as it is impossible to save a tree when once attacked b by these beetles the infested trees' trees were were peeled in order that the broods boods which aY a b r rY ca j a Y b t y s' s t p M A greatly enlarged view of the mountain pine beetle which is devastating ng Western forests lie between the bark and ani the wood might be destroyed and their development development develop develop- development ment and subsequent attacks prevented However in the north at Swan Lake Flathead National Forest though similar control work was conducted perhaps not so thoroughly since it did not include all of tile lice infestation very poor results were obtained and the epidemic once established spread rapidly to the north and south along the west side of the Continental Divide In spite of all aU the measures measure of defense defense defense de de- taken for years this invasion b has s continued to spread to the north and south leaving in its wake a devastated forest of dead trees which which- will 11 remain remaina a fire tire trap for years to come An examination of these areas after the enemy has bas p passed over shows that a aj j f 5 C K v Sg J Aft T f F adf n f f t J 1 y N r Hn eY g l ro h iL The beetle is a friend of the farmer because it destroys de d de destroys caterpillars large percentage of of the trees more than six inches in diameter which are favored hosts for the insects are killed This loss involves from 40 to 70 per cent of the total otal volume of the stand It is impossible even to estimate the value of lodgepole pine and yellow pine the themore more valuable species which have bave been destroyed destroyed de de- destroyed during the course courso of of- this epi epi- demic I By 1922 the infestation in the north had bad sp spread e d through the the Flathead d and L L' L 1 Skidding the fest Western ern yellow pine pirie Above bove is shown a forest ranger ranger marking an infested tree A second crew fells feIls the trees and the third mops up Blackfoot National l Forests an and as it p passed into Canada was forgotten However However However How How- ever in the in-the the south a different scene was b being ing enact enacted d As the infestation spread from its nucleus at Swan Lake toward the valuable timber Umber stands of the Missoula and Bitterroot National Na Na- tignal Forests the danger was was realized and forest foret officers ers began to map out a aplan aplan aplan plan of campaign But long before re th this s th the outbreak h had d reached such magnitude magnitude magnitude magni magni- tude that treating all all of the infested sted trees was out of the question because of the expense involved The advance of the insect was decidedly decidedly decidedly edly alarming and it was hoped against reason that in s some someway me way or other these timber stands would b be spared But during the winter of 24 1923 it was found that the advance guard of of- the enemy was already in the valuable lodgepole lodgepole lodge- lodge lodgepole pole stands of the Southern Missoula Forest In a desperate effort to protect protect this timber a a. novel and untried d. d pl plan n of of defense was' was inaugurated line A A line was dr drawn across what t was vas assumed to to be bo f Li iL the spearhead of the attack and a plan of operation adopted adopt d that caIl called d for combating combating combating com com- bating the beetles in all infested trees tree s to the south while in No Mans Man's Land the insects were to be aIlor allowed ed to ravage e unchecked In pursuance of this plan some thousands of trees were treated in i iMay n May 1924 which at the time was was believed be- be believed believed be be- to include all of the trees infested south of the line Since this wa was an emergency situation it was necessary to plan the attack on rather out out date date of-date information Little Little Little Lit Lit- tle was known about the enemy enemy's s char- char ff L- L 1 14 Y i f i r r L N b 5 d. d A b L IJ w 0 e ei 4 i r i i g ti J 1 Lf Jr y y o Zo 6 WJ f. f Y- Y f 0 re 3 1 W maneuvers s when the first de detailed det de- de detailed t tailed reconnaissance of the region was wa 1 made Much to to the sorrow orrow of the leaders leaders leaders lead lead- ers of the thee c campaign doubt to too th the e joy and happiness of the beetles it was wa s later later found found that this military intelligence intelli g genre gence nce was very inaccurate Later in the season a survey was madof made mad e of the entire battle area with disheartening ening eiling results r It was ascertained that tha I. I the enemy enemy had infiltrated much much farther farther r than had previously been assumed and an d rd that in some some places it had evidently y been securely dug in fo for s several veral years years As it would woul have required at least leas t to tackle all of the infested d tre trees s in thi this enl enlarged zon zone of of oper operations tion's abandonment o of this his major engagement t was wis seriously considered its continuance continuant e appearing to b be no roc longer ec economically lIy y feasible Defeat Defea teemed seemed cheaper cheap r tha than thaI n possible victory It was ho however ever plain to be seep seer tha that t such a decision w would uld be tantamount to t o s signing gning the death warrant u t of n Urge large rge are areas area i 3 of the 0 lodgepole pine fore forests ts of o Montana It It- was feared also that a ac C c capitulation of this sort w would o only ly y hearten the enemy to invade the timber r of the Big Hole Basin which had been if it was thought bought ad adequately quat ly fortified through control measures hack a k in 1913 3 To host hoist the the white flag was was out of th the e question so sp the he B Bureau eau of Entomology om l gy y de decided i to return return to Ito the he attack to tc brin brine brin R i. i I up re re and to stick it out till the bitter end even if it took years to get the beetles to accept defeat e The active theatre of war is now in inthe inthe the Missoula Beaverhead and r Bitterroot National Forests Though j the beetle beetIe had been at work here for some years it was not until 1925 that the Government decided to organize a j formidable counteroffensive The beetle by this time had begun to launch attacks j en masse both to the north and the J I south but worst of all threatened to 4 pour over the Continental Divide and J. J devastate the rich territory on the eastern east east- eastern 1 5 ern slopes j T beetle beetIe concentration was still on TilE TUE the Pacific side in Missoula National j Forest and the Bitterroot Valley On the Atlantic side in and Beaverhead Beaverhead Bea Bea- National Forests the advance guards of th the enemy had been held in check J The pines on the eastern side of the Continental Divide are of less value than those on the opposite side of the mountains mountains mountains moun moun- chiefly because of the difficulty of A 1 getting them out when felled So when it was decided to establish battlefronts both to the north and south of the enemy the ide ide-i was to prevent if possible the embattled beetles from rolling down the eastern slopes slope of the free of opposition 3 When the first shots were fired in May 1924 the crews consisting of a foreman cook and four n established established camps in the Missoula and Bitterroot Bitterroot Bitterroot Bitter- Bitter root National Forests Armed first with sharp double-bitted double axes and heavy bark peeling bark peeling spuds and later with pieces of heavy saw blades sharpened on one 1 edge and riveted to the blades of long- long 1 j handled hoes infested trees were cut i. i down and nd barked in battalions the purpose pur put pose being to expose the insects and so 50 kill kiU them But these were expensive tactics The crews traveled with saddle and pack horses in almost coun coun- try And while engaged with the moun moun- pine beetle some of them were being sniped at by an that thatis is as dangerous to man as the beetle is isto to the tree This is the tick of the Bitterroot Bitterroot Bit Bit- Bitterroot Valley whose bite transmits the dreaded Rocky Mountain spotted fever which incidentally is is' is isnow now being fought by the Uni United ed States States' Public Health Service TIlE THE attack is being made this year year- in this way A defense army is made up of three corps First of all a crew led by an entomologist goes out and marks all in infested infested in- in tested tre trees s. s Then a second crew orew comes j along and fells these trees The third P outfit does docs the mopping up It cuts the trees trees and up and burns them A At first many any delays were caused by hy laborers when when being sent from Crom one crew to the next ahead in an emergency getting getting get get- getting ting lost in the forest but ut now veteran |
