376 JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY [Vol. 7 



ENTOMOLOGICAL WORK IN MISSOURI. 



By Leonard Haseman, Department of Entomology, University of Missouri 



All are familiar with the able work of Riley so well described and 

 illustrated in his memorable Missouri Reports. This work was in large 

 part practical and being in a new field was largely original. Even at 

 the present time his illustrations and more technical descriptions are 

 made use of. Unfortunately Missouri and the Middle West was not 

 then able to fully appreciate the value of his work, and after nine years 

 it was discontinued and by the farmer largely forgotten. Compara- 

 tively few of the older Missourians now remember him and his work, 

 though entomologists will not soon forget him. 



His work as state entomologist was under the supervision of the 

 State Board of Agriculture with headquarters at St. Louis, Mo., and 

 after it was discontinued nothing was done in this state to control the 

 insect pests until this department was established in 1895. At that 

 time Stedman was appointed head of the department and an effort 

 was made to investigate and improve entomological conditions in the 

 state. Some headway was made, but the state is a large one and con- 

 ditions were favorable for the work of insects and not always favorable 

 for the work of control, so that from year to year conditions clearly 

 grew Avorse. Funds were scarce in the early days, help difficult to 

 get and such a thing as legal authority to control pests was unknown 

 in the state. For the first few years after the work of this department 

 began, a special effort was made to reach the farmer in a popular way, 

 and while some little original work was done it was not of a technical 

 nature. Agricultural conditions generally had materially improved 

 since Riley began work here, so Stedman had a much better oppor- 

 tunity to reach the farmers and secure their cooperation. He began 

 his work just after the San Jose scale was introduced into the state and 

 while efforts were made to check it, they were met with lack of support 

 and means, and consequently with failure. Had this department at 

 that time done nothing more than stamp out this pest in the dozen 

 or so orchards where it was then found, it would have far more than 

 justified its existence. Since that time this pest has cost the state 

 thousands of dollars, and will continue to cost it even more. 



The writer has had charge of the entomological work here since 

 1910 and has found some of the original handicaps still existing. Lack 

 of interest in insect control, and with it lack of support and assistance 

 have always been a serious drawback in Missouri. This is being felt 

 much less now than in former years though we need a dozen men in 

 place of two to cope with the entomological •conditions as they are now 

 found in this state. 



