April, '08] JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 109 



Mr. J. B. Smith stated that conditions in Maryland are very similar 

 to those in New Jersey. In the latter state the Experiment Station 

 does not consider it advisable to conduct public sprayers. In fifteen 

 or twenty localities spraying is being attempted in a wholesale way by 

 private individuals, and the Station is doing its best to encourage this 

 kind of work. 



Mr. Burgess considered the work which Mr. Symons had described 

 as very important and believed that after parties had been properly 

 trained by the state force, that many of them would take up spraying- 

 as a business enterprise. This would relieve the state department and 

 give the owners of trees an opportunity to secure competent men to 

 do their work. 



Mr. J. L. Phillips favored starting the work in this way and encour- 

 aging private parties to continue it. 



Mr. H. T. Fernald remarked that more spraying is now being done 

 than ever before, but that in spite of this, losses caused by insect pests 

 are increasing. Under such conditions, there seems to be a question 

 whether present methods of control will ever be sufficiently effective 

 by themselves, and he believed that the time had come to search for 

 new and better methods than those at present made use of, to add to 

 our present weapons. 



Mr. Fletcher called attention to the wonderful development in all 

 lines of economic entomology in the last few years. This shows that 

 the entomologists have been working as well as the insects. The 

 world has never seen such work in economic entomology as that being 

 carried on in Massachusetts against the Gypsy moth and in Texas 

 against the cotton boll weevil. During the past year the United 

 States government appropriated $650,000 to fight insects, a thing 

 which ten years ago would have been considered utterly absurd. He 

 believed that what is needed is more work of the same nature as is 

 now giving good results. 



Mr. Fernald replied that he recognized that many new lines are 

 now being worked on, and the importance of paying attention to these 

 is the point he wished to urge. The cases of the Gypsy moth and boll 

 weevil work are examples of what he had in mind, for in spite of all 

 that is being done to control these pests, the area of infestation is con- 

 stantly extending. He felt that spraying and other methods now in 

 use are of great value, and that we cannot afford to neglect them, but 

 after all, they alone would prove insufficient and that it is the duty 

 now of the economic entomologist to investigate all possible lines of 

 the subject in the hope of discovering other methods of control to add 

 to those already in use. 



