WHOLE VOL. APPLIED ENTOMOLOGY HOWARD 21 



ment of entomology and trained some admirable students. By good 

 luck, he was able to attract the late Carl F. Baker, one of the most 

 enthusiastic workers and collectors American entomology has ever 

 seen. I stopped at Pomona once in the late nineties and found that 

 Professor Cook had taken off his beard and had become young and 

 active and most enthusiastic. There was a spirit of vigor about the 

 institution that was very pleasing. Part of this was doubtless due to 

 Baker, but Professor Cook's personality seemed to have been com- 

 pletely changed. He published 17 economic papers during the next 

 two years, became well known as a speaker at the fruit-growers' con- 

 ventions. He published 30 or 40 additional papers during the fol- 

 lowing years, and in 1912 was made State Commissioner of Horti- 

 culture. His selection for this post proved to be an excellent one. 

 California emerged from the fog of parasite control that had domi- 

 nated her economic entomology for a large part of the previous 25 

 years, and began to do up-to-date work based upon sound scientific 

 principles. Harry S. Smith was taken over from the Federal service, 

 and for the first time California had an expert trained in parasite 

 matters in charge of that department of work. 



I realize that the last sentences convey, on the whole, too deroga- 

 tory an impression. It must not be forgotten that California was the 

 first State of the Union to pass proper pest laws and to set up a rigid 

 quarantine, and that all of the early laws passed by other States were 

 based upon those of California. California, in fact, led the Federal 

 Government in this direction by 15 years. 



Professor Cook, by the way, was one of the founders of the Associa- 

 tion of Economic Entomologists and was one of the nine men present 

 at the memorable field meeting at Toronto in 1888, and, in fact, 

 presided. 



An interesting episode connected with his work in Michigan was 

 the rather vigorous discussion that took place between him and Pro- 

 fessor Riley on the subject of kerosene emulsion. Cook used kero- 

 sene and soap solution as early as 1877, first recommending it to the 

 public in 1878. In 1880 Riley recommended the kerosene and milk 

 emulsion. Later, Hubbard produced a formula for kerosene-soap 

 which differed from that recommended by Cook. The most conflict- 

 ing evidence appeared relative to the success of the two formulae, 

 and a controversy arose which was finally settled by a visit which 

 C. L. Marlatt made to Michigan at Riley's instance ; and the simple 

 explanation was found in the character of the water used in Michi- 

 gan, which was very strongly alkaline. 



