April, '19] BURGESS: ORGANIZATION FOR INSECT SUPPRESSION 137 



sternation among the fruit-growing interests as the San Jose Scale, and 

 as a result of its introduction and spread throughout the nation, prac- 

 tically every state has passed laws relating to its control as well as that 

 of other serious pests. It is not an item of news to the members of 

 this association to call attention to the diversity of laws, of regulations 

 and of forms of organizing the work which resulted from the danger of 

 the unrestricted spread of this insect. Repeated attempts were made 

 to secure Federal legislation in order that problems of controlling dan- 

 gerous pests might be handled with more uniformity, but these at- 

 tempts failed until the Plant Quarantine Act was passed by Congress 

 in the summer of 1912. Since that time attempts have been made to 

 secure uniform state legislation, but so far as is known to the writer, 

 little success has resulted along this line. Inasmuch as proper organ- 

 ization of work of this character usually is based on State or Federal 

 law, careful attention should be given to have the statutes carefully 

 drawn. 



Never within the memory of the present generation has the food 

 situation been so pressing as during the past two years, or have the 

 people been obliged to conserve their resources so extensively, and 

 never has there been a time when National and State indebtedness has 

 mounted so high. This is bound to have a direct influence on future 

 taxation and future prosperity. It would therefore seem fitting for 

 the entomologists to place their houses in order against the time when 

 retrenchment will be the order of the day, and reconstruct and regroup 

 their activities so as to secure maximum results. 



Insect suppression naturally falls into two classes, viz: The control 

 of insects that are widely distributed throughout the country and con- 

 trol of newly established pests which are present in a limited area. 



The methods used in the former class must necessarily be suited to 

 the local conditions and in many cases they cannot be standardized, 

 and the form of successful organizations for carrying on the work must 

 be adapted to these conditions. Better results might he obtained, 

 however, by closer acquaintance of the officials engaged in the work 

 and a more thorough understanding of the problems and difficulties 

 with which each has to contend. Meetings like this should pay large 

 dividends in increasing efficiency if all could attend, but many of the 

 authorities concerned do not take steps to make this possible. 



This will not accomplish all that should be undertaken. There 

 should be closer relations established between the State and Federal 

 authorities that are mutually interested in these matters and a con- 

 stant effort should l)e made to strengthen these relations. Spasmodic 

 efforts for improvement are not likely to be successful and if this work 

 is to be left to individuals who arc alreadv overl>urdened with other 



