34 JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY [Vol. 12 



thorough organization, with the power and push of American energy 

 and ingenuity, would ehminate this pest in a single season. It would 

 hardly be accomplished, before the gain in leather and increased pro- 

 duction would have paid the cost. The codling-moth is restricted to 

 the apple and one or two allied fruits and nuts for its existence. An 

 organized force, taking advantage of short crops, by reason of frost or 

 previous heavy bearing, could free an entire region in a single year. By 

 rigid quarantine it could be held free, until adjacent regions received 

 like treatment. Area after area could in this way be cleaned up, until 

 this scourge was driven from our shores. The state of Texas offered 

 $50,000 reward for a plan of control of the cotton-boll weevil. Three 

 hundred claimed the prize, but none succeeded. This pest is entirely 

 dependent upon the cotton plant for its existence, and as Newell has 

 pointed out, if the nation would store cotton in advance and cease to 

 grow the crop for a single year, its eradication might be accomplished. 

 It would be even possible to divide the country into three districts, 

 increase the crop production in one area, while it was eliminated for 

 two seasons, in the others. In this way, it could be more certainly 

 ehminated and still cotton produced. 



There are many who will say that all of these things are impossible 

 and we will grant that they are, but you will remember that it was 

 impossible to build the Panama Canal, but a Goethals builded it. It 

 was impossible to put a million men in France. Statistics showed that 

 there were not trains enough to move them, nor ships enough to carry 

 them. It was altruistic, but impossible. It was also proved to be 

 impossible to feed them, even if they could have been placed there. 

 There was overwhelming evidence to these conclusions, and yet these 

 men and many more were placed on French soil and the food was there 

 in abundance. The trouble with the statisticians was that they forgot 

 the power of leadership and organization supported by the enthusiasm 

 and self-sacrifice of a free people. 



There are doubtless scores of other insect pests of prime importance, 

 that have even more vulnerable spots somewhere in the armor of their 

 development. It is only a question of finding it and organizing for the 

 attack. The Economic Entomologists are weak in aggressive organi- 

 zation, to meet the conditions of today. They should have a strong 

 and permanent executive committee, presided over by the strongest 

 leader of our band. To this committee should be intrusted the organi- 

 zation of our efforts to the accomplishment of these ends. This com- 

 mittee should decide on the problems to be attacked, the method of 

 operation, and the organization of public support and cooperation so 

 essential to success. The society should change its rules, so that the 

 president would serve for the year following his address and the ap- 



