Tebruary, '19] britton and zappe: kerosene v. nicotine 75 



ment: for the last fifteen months I have not been in touch with ento- 

 mological progress; if, therefore, something has developed within that 

 time that is new, I am not acquainted with it. 



A main function of soap is as a carrier. The alkali itself, or a wash- 

 ing powder will do admirably as a softener provided it is strong enough 

 to function properly and not strong enough to hurt the plant. That is 

 the reason we use soap — because of the wider margin of safety. The 

 composition of soap is so uncertain that it must have a very wide mar- 

 gin of safety. You may use more than is necessary to function prop- 

 erly, and yet not injure the plant. The idea of using the soap is to use 

 something that you can vary in amount, because there are no two soaps 

 that are really so definite in composition that you can accurately say, 

 "Use so many ounces." 



Of course, in effect, we do say that; but it is not accurate. We have 

 powders that are excellent spreaders, but it would be necessary to re- 

 -commend a certain powder in one locality and another brand in an- 

 other place. The brand would have to differ with the character of the 

 water used. 



Our biggest problem has been that of water as a spray-carrier. It is 

 suggested that some entomologists could profitably specialize on waters, 

 hard and soft waters. We have had to contend with waters in Arizona 

 and Southern California, in parts of Colorado, in Idaho, and in the 

 Northwest generally that were almost unbelievably hard. 



Washing soda will be effective as a softener if it is used accurately 

 for the particular water employed; but such accuracy is often not 

 practical and the reason for preferring soap instead is to employ a 

 substance that is comparatively safe. 



An entomologist made a statement the other day which all of us 

 should bear in mind. He said that he is working on the economic 

 entomological problems of the farmer from the standpoint of the farmer 

 — and this is a standpoint that certainly does deserve a great deal of 

 consideration. Dr. Felt this morning stated that as entomologists we 

 are independent. I sometimes fear we tend to be too independent. 

 We do not cooperate sufficiently. Too often we work along, entirely 

 forgetting the farmer's attitude — the item of labor, the item of mechan- 

 ics, other items that a farmer thinks of, and that entomologists some- 

 times forget. 



Those of you who have soap factories in your states should bear in 

 mind that within short distances of the factories you can di8tril)ute and 

 use, what the soap factory people call, I believe, the first boiling; it ia 

 really a soft soap, and is much cheaper than the finished product. All 

 •the boiling beyond that point merely puts the soap into condition that 

 ■causes more trouble for the farmer in restoring it to its former liquid 



