February, '12] WASHBURN: PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS 39 



aspirations on the part of the individual. Where station workers 

 intimately concerned with the work, take up the subject of corn, for 

 example, or clover, or other crop, treating the problem in all its aspects, 

 the force is working more as a unit, and w^e get more of a co-operative 

 feeling than in any other way. 



4. The Entomologist's Relations to his Employees: 



Honesty, loyalty, ability and generosity are the prime requisites on 

 the part of assistants in the entomological department; are they not 

 also the requisites to be looked for in the chief entomologist in his 

 relations to his employees? Should he not give all due acknowledg- 

 ment to his assistants, if necessary erring a little on the side of gener- 

 osity in this connection, to create good feeling and confidence? 



The question of granting credit to assistants has been well and 

 frequently discussed in this Association, and the concensus of opinion 

 appears to be in favor of giving all credit for originality on the part of 

 an assistant where he has done a piece of work in question entirely by 

 himself, with little or no direction from the head. Even when such 

 help has been given, some entomologists are altruistic enough to waive 

 their claims in the work and give all credit to an assistant. 



The general rule above mentioned, seemingly followed by all 

 members, appears excellent, yet there are at times objections to the 

 plan. Human nature is not always strong, and ambition on the part 

 of an assistant to get credit for a piece of W'Ork is sometimes so great 

 as to blind him to the advantage accruing from consultation. Some 

 possibly will avoid consultation with the chief for that reason, and 

 thereby the best results are not only not secured, but an entire season 

 of work may be wasted. Frequently two heads are better than one 

 in an entomological problem, and the assistant should be generous 

 enough toward the work to admit that. One station worker known 

 to me, chief of his division, — and there are probably others, — follows 

 this method with seeming success; he will materially help an assistant 

 in a project undertaken by the latter, yet allowing the assistant to 

 have full credit. In return he expects his assistants to do the same in 

 the projects that belong distinctly to him. 



The young entomologist, for a few years, should be absorbent rather 

 than exhalent. It w'ould be well for him to follow the old adage to 

 ''say nothing and saw wood" for a while, and seek to bind his friends 

 and employers to him with hooks of steel. One point, especially, he 

 should bear in mind in connecting himself with an institution ; namely, 

 that all notes, records of work, photos, drawings, etc., made during 

 working hours, are distinctly the property of the institution. This 

 also applies to the notes (which must be something more than mental 



