WHOLE VOL. APPLIED ENTOMOLOGY — HOWARD QI 



States, later into game and bird protection, bird refuges, the destruc- 

 tion of wild animals injurious to stock and to agriculture generally, 

 and in other directions. 



In the more strictly entomological features of the work, important 

 investigations were made on the chinch bug, the Hessian fly, the cod- 

 ling moth, the plum curculio, the hop aphis, destructive grasshoppers, 

 and a host of other injurious forms. The force at work was at no 

 time large, nor did the appropriations exceed $30,000 per annum. 



Of especial importance during this period were the advances made 

 in the development of new insecticides and of machinery for their 

 distribution. The use of arsenicals in different forms was elaborated ; 

 the possibilities of home-grown Pyrethrum were considered on a 

 large experimental scale ; kerosene emulsion sprays were invented, and 

 many machines were suggested, i^erfected and introduced into prac- 

 tice. Moreover the use of hydrocyanic-acid gas as an insecticide was 

 discovered and began to be used in California Citrus culture. 



Perhaps the most striking feature of this period was the magnifi- 

 cently successful expedition to Australia for the purpose of finding 

 the natural enemies of the white or fluted scale, an insect which 

 threatened the destruction of the Citrus-growing industry of Cali- 

 fornia. This success led to an intense interest in the subject of natu- 

 ral control and forms the basis for a great amount of beneficial work 

 which has been done since that time. 



Many bulletins were published during this period, and in 1888 was 

 started the publication of the periodical bulletin known as Insect Life 

 which was carried through seven annual volumes and perhaps did 

 more to stimulate interest in applied entomology than almost any 

 other single agency during this period. 



Looking back and noting the admirable work which was done by 

 the Federal service during Riley's incumbency of office, the modern 

 economic entomologist cannot fail to be deeply impressed ; and, judg- 

 ing by results, Riley deserves very great credit. Intimately associated 

 with all of this work as I was, for he soon made me his principal 

 assistant, I can find myself admiring some of his qualities very 

 greatly ; but at the same time there was during the entire period an 

 amount of dissatisfaction and of unrest and of unfair treatment of 

 subordinates that made the period anything but happy. He quarreled 

 with A. J. Cook over the invention of kerosene emulsion ; he quarreled 

 (and quite justly) with the California people over the credit for the 

 introduction of the Australian ladybird ; and he quarreled with many 

 other persons and organizations about many different things. It is 

 all past now, but I cannot help thinking that much more would have 



