168 JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY [Vol. 15 



the whole matter to the individual fanner, who is helpless unless the 

 local stores voluntarily stock the needed materials. Such an arrange- 

 ment, in effect, makes the town board both the pest control organization 

 of the locality and a clearing house for information regarding the prev- 

 alence and control of injurious insects and plant diseases. 



Usually the powers of local officers are closely restricted by state laws. 

 In Wisconsin we found that new legislation was essential to enable towns 

 and counties to make appropriations for such purposes, and to buy and 

 sell the necessary supplies. At the same time it appeared to be as un- 

 reasonable to ask the passage of a new law regarding each specific insect 

 pest or plant disease as it would be to provide a special statute for each 

 human ailment. California has followed both policies. In addition 

 to organizing a horticultural commission (now in the department of 

 agriculture) with wide powers and extensive authority, the legislature 

 has passed a series of special statutes on such subjects as the walnut 

 codling moth, date palm scale, and Phylloxera. Many states, when 

 faced with the barberry eradication problem enacted special barberry 

 laws and whenever a new problem in the control of a disease with alter- 

 nate hosts comes up under such conditions, a new legislative enactment 

 will be necessary. 



The solution adopted in Wisconsin was the passage of a bill providing 

 authority for county boards, town meetings, town boards, and village 

 boards to make appropriations for the control of insect pests, weeds, 

 or plant or animal diseases. Advantage was taken of this opportunity 

 immediately after passage of the bill, and county and town appropriations 

 have since been made for grasshopper control, cattle tuberculosis, and 

 apiary inspection ."" Action by town and county boards, it was felt should 

 not be made mandatory under our conditions altho this may be necessary 

 in the grasshopper infested regions of the great plains. 



An additional clause required the state department of agriculture 

 to provide technical assistance and direction in the expenditure of such 

 funds, the purpose of this being to unify the work and prevent the waste 

 of county and town resources. The form of organization is thus similar 

 to that of public health work, very elastic but possessing full authority 

 and the administrative machinery to cope with varied situations. 



If we will then divide pest control problems into three classes from the 

 standpoint of public interest, the requirements of an inclusive pest con- 

 trol program become apparent. First come those insects or diseases 

 which threaten a locahty but have not yet reached it; second, new ar- 

 rivals whose distribution is spotted; third, native, or strongly estab- 

 lished introduced form.s, calling for repressive measures rather than 

 extermination. 



