EXPERIMENT STATION REPORTS 101 



gether with multitudes of specimens of insects of all kinds (and some not 

 insects at all), suspected of being the dreaded scale, and sent for positive 

 identification. 



Several trips were made to infested points; steps were taken to locate 

 centres of infestation; and considerable time was spent in discussing 

 with members of the Legislature, committees of the State Horticultural 

 Society, and representatives of the prominent nurseries of the State, the 

 provisions of a bill drafted for the restriction and extermination of this 

 and similar pests. As you are well aware, such a measure was passed 

 by the Legislature in the spring of 1897, and in accordance with its pro- 

 visions. Professor U. P. Hedrick, lately of the Oregon Agricultural Col- 

 lege, was appointed State Inspector oi Orchards and Nurseries, in Sep- 

 tember. His efforts thus far have been directed mainly toward the in- 

 spection of all nursery stock in the State and the prevention of importa- 

 tion of infested stock from outside. If he can at once have sufficient 

 expert help in locating infested spots outside the nurseries much can 

 be done before spring toward stamping out the pest, but if this is delayed 

 until another winter the task will be very seriously increased and ulti- 

 mate success correspondingly doubtful. 



It is hoped that the appointment of so competent an inspector will 

 relieve this office of most of the work relating to this scale, since our 

 allotment of |500 is barely sufficient for the routine work of the office, 

 while the additional burden imposed during emergencies like the present 

 not only weighs heavily on the members of the division but unavoidably 

 detracts from the class work of the College. Full and prompt attention 

 to the correspondence during the past year would of itself have required 

 all the time for which the Experiment Station pays, and any Station 

 work done outside of this must be looked upon as a generosity on the 

 part of the College or a voluntary sacrifice on the part of those who do the 

 work. Of course many insects are sent in for identification which can be 

 named at sight and many simple questions are asked which require no 

 investigation before replies are sent. Many such inquiries can be an- 

 swered by a few written words and a printed circular or card giving 

 formulae for insecticides and directions for treatment. On the other 

 hand many of the letters received necessitate the comparison of many 

 specimens, the examination of a large amount of literature, and the 

 expenditure of much time and care in giving the correspondent the re- 

 sults of such work. :\[ore than 200 such cases have been disposed of dur- 

 ing the year, while several hundred more letters have been written in 

 reply to simpler questions which involved little or no investigation. 



For several years past, at least, the consulting entomologist of the 

 Experiment Station, although receiving half his pay from the College 

 and half from the Station, has divided his time very unequally, giAnng 

 from three-fourths to five-sixths of the entire time to the work of the 

 Station and allowing the College w^ork to suffer. The injustice of this is 

 apparent at once, and such an arrangement cannot be continued in the 

 future. If the Michigan Experiment Station is to maintain the high stan- 

 dard of entomological work which it has set in the past it will be neces- 

 sary that the entomologist be able to give all or nearly all his time to the 

 work of the Station, while additional assistance is provided for the Col- 

 lege department of anatomy and zoology. Perhaps at no time in the his- 

 tory of the State have its agricultural interests been so strongly menaced 



