78 JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY [Vol. 1 



descriptive matter is a necessity. The recent discoveries relative to 

 insects and diseases have resulted in ranking previously almost ignored 

 groups among those of prime economic importance, and have opened 

 up new and widely divergent fields for investigators. The importa- 

 tion of parasites upon a large scale, as in the gypsy moth work, is 

 another relatively new and very promising field. Other important 

 discoveries are yet to be made. The recently available Adams fund 

 has made it possible for our experiment stations to devote consid- 

 erable sums of money to work of the highest character, and it is not 

 too much to expect that the next decade may witness most striking 

 advances. The Journal is world-wide in circulation and interest, 

 and the stimulus resulting therefrom will be most beneficial. 



The discussion of methods should have an important place in this 

 Journal, since it is impossible to secure accurate results unless the 

 standards of judgment be correct. Students of such pests as the 

 codling moth have learned to their sorrow the difficulty of attempt- 

 ing to correlate observations made under widely different conditions. 

 Much can be learned by cooperative work and full value from such 

 effort can be realized only after there has been a practical agreement 

 as to methods. The establishment of standard tests and methods of 

 observation receiving wide acceptance, would result in untold benefit 

 to future workers. The discussion of methods employed in other 

 lines of investigation and their adaptation to our conditions should 

 also prove most fruitful. It is planned to have a department devoted 

 to technique and methods, and provision has already been made for 

 a department of current notes, which latter is in charge of the asso- 

 ciate editor. Dr. Howard, through his bureau, has consented to pre- 

 pare summaries or reviews of the more important foreign publications 

 on economic entomology, and critical reviews of notable contributions 

 may be expected from time to time. 



The Chicago meeting of the Association of Economic Entomolgists 

 was one of the most successful in the history of the organization. 

 The attendance was very nearly as large as at the recent New York 

 meeting, while the crowded program made necessary a supplementary 

 session on Saturday evening. The papers were of exceptionally 

 high character. The grouping of subjects assisted very materially 

 in getting through the program expeditiously and at the same time 

 allowed at least a moderate amount of discussion. It was the sense 

 of the members present that in the future it might be well to limit 

 most papers to fifteen minutes or thereabouts, so as to allow more 

 time for discussion. Now that we have means for prompt publica- 

 tion, there should be little objection to the presentation of summaries. 



