238 JOrUXAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY [Vol. 3 



common injurious insects and diseases and up-to-date methods of 

 orchard management. The inspection is conducted during July, 

 August and September. Each inspector is given an alloted territory 

 by election districts. He is required to plat each orchard on a topo- 

 graphical map of the state as shown by exhibit I. He is also required 

 to make a report of the inspection of each place on the blanks, exhibit 

 II., and directed to leave a card, exhibit III., at each place inspected, 

 which serves to notify the owner or tenant of the inspection, if he 

 should be away at that time. Each card is supposed to be filled out 

 and sent to the office by the grower, who states what he has done or 

 will do in the near future to comply with instructions. I may add that 

 upon the receipt of the reports from the inspectors, we communicate 

 Avith the growers in regard to the conditions of their orchards. 



This system has given much satisfaction in Maryland ; our only 

 difficulty is that our funds only permit the inspection of about twenty- 

 five per cent of the state during a season, and we are not able to 

 reinspect this territory within a reasonable time to ascertain the 

 existence of neglected cases and enforce the law, where necessary. 



The important aspect of this w^ork that I wish to point out is, that 

 there is no doiibt that the personal contact method of dispensing in- 

 formation is the best means of reaching all growers. The local inspec- 

 tors are enabled to have personal interviews with the growers in their 

 own orchards, where they can point out such insects or diseases as 

 may be affecting their trees ; suggest proper culture methods and give 

 in a practical manner such information as they need. Moreover, by 

 this system, we are enabled to reach many farmers who may grow a 

 few trees, and orchardists, who may never attend farmers' meetings 

 where such subjects are discussed. Further, the local inspectors can 

 explain the work of the department to the orchardists and show them 

 that our efforts are directed toward helping them in the protection 

 of their trees and in production of good crops, rather than in seeking 

 enforcement of the law. 



In my opinion, the extension work of the departments of our colleges 

 and stations, and State departments could well adopt such a plan for 

 disseminating other agricultural information. A visit of a good prac- 

 tical man to many of our farms, spending two or three hours or longer 

 with the owner would be of much greater service to the farmer than 

 many bulletins on the different subjects that may be thrown into the 

 waste-paper basket. The farmer wants practical information and 

 most of them are from "Missouri." The conditions at each place are 

 different, and what would be a good suggestion in farm management 

 for one, may be entirely useless or undesirable for another. 



