170 JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY [Vol. 14 



In spite of these difficulties we have gone ahead with cooperative work 

 in Texas, and the people of the State have given us such cooperation 

 as practically to give the control which we would have had under an 

 adequate law. Noncotton zones, of course, could not be enforced, but 

 in point of fact nature came to our rescue as to the Trinity Bay district 

 with a climate that was unfavorable over much of the area where we 

 should have had a noncotton zone, and in effect produced such zone. 



You will be interested in knowing our point of view relative to the 

 outlook for extermination. We do not believe it is hopeless. The 

 insect has not appeared at any new point in Texas except at El Paso. 

 The old Trinity Bay district is very much smaller in its area of infesta- 

 tion than it was in 1917 and in 1919, and the infestation that has been 

 found in it has been of a very scattering nature. In the two other 

 districts in Texas where we have had the pest before, it did not appear 

 at all in 1920, namely, the Pecos Valley and the Heame districts. 



In Louisiana there has been no reappearance in the three parishes and 

 only one new point in the State — at Shreveport — and this has been 

 vigorously taken hold of and will be noncotton next year. 



We believe therefore that there is an opportunity still to exterminate 

 the pink bollworm. We have now before Congress an estimate for an 

 emergency appropriation of $100,000 to finish up the work of this year. 

 We are also asking in our regular appropriation for about $660,000 for 

 work for 1921-22. 



There is a particular strength of argiiment which we can make with 

 relation to these special appropriations. They are not like research 

 work; they are not like educational work which, if not done, causes the 

 public no irreparable harm; you can give that same demonstration, 

 the same education another year! In the extermination of a pest like 

 this, or like the citrus canker, you have the opportunity once and once 

 only ; if you let it get away you cannot take it up another year ! 



We have also a large Alexican border service on account of the pink 

 bollworm. This subject is on your program for later discussion. 



We have discontinued, for the time being, the research station in the 

 Laguna, but what I think will be a very authoritative and interesting 

 document is now going through the press, giving the results of the re- 

 search there for the last two years. 



Incidentally, one of the most important pink bollworm developments 

 of the year has been the sending of a commission to the Laguna by the 

 Governor of Texas — a commission involving in its personnel all the big 

 cotton and farming interests of Texas, — brainy men who have large 

 influence in that State. The sending of this commission was to deter- 

 mine whether the entomologists were magnifying the situation, and 



