28 JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY [\^ol. 4 



to every one." So it was, and so it always has been; but how little 

 has been accomplished along this line, not only as between the ento- 

 mologists of the experiment stations, but between all the lines of agri- 

 cultural investigation. At the time of Dr. Riley's address (1890) 

 it was objected by one member, whom we all know as one of our 

 best workers, that the time had not yet come for such cooperation 

 owing to the pressing demand of immediate, often local, and occa- 

 sional problems. It would seem that in some respects it is still as far 

 off. With the passage of the Adams Act in 1906 the work of the experi- 

 ment stations was placed upon a decidedly better basis. Under that 

 act the projects of investigation must be carefully considered, thor- 

 oughly outlined and approved by the Department of Agriculture at 

 Washington. Hence there is no reason why workers on similar 

 projects should not arrange for the most feasible sort of cooperation. 

 We may regret that the Office of Experiment Stations has not seen fit, 

 undoubtedl}^ for good reasons, to make known to the different stations 

 what lines of investigation others are- contemplating until after 

 they have been well launched, and we might wish that that office 

 might find a means whereby it could aid the sort of cooperation which 

 is evidently feasible. But if that cannot be done, there seems no 

 good reason why the entomologists, at least, may not arrange for 

 cooperative work in any way that may be found practicable. 



In the address referred to (Z. c. p. 203-205), Dr. Riley also called 

 attention to the relation of the experiment stations to the National 

 Department of Agriculture and discussed the matter in a statesman- 

 like manner. Dr. Riley evidently feared that, as he said, "the old 

 saw to the effect that 'the dog wags the tail because the tail cannot 

 wag the dog' will find another application," referring to the weak 

 condition of the Division of Entomology at that time in relation to 

 the strength which he foresaw that the experiment stations would 

 assume, and the fact that the Hatch Act provided no well-defined, 

 organic relation between the two. But Dr. Riley would have no need 

 for fear had he lived to see the present magnificent organization of 

 our national Bureau of Entomology with its staff of "six hundred and 

 twenty-three individuals, of whom one hundred and thirty-one are 

 trained entomologists"^ — more than the entire membership of this 

 association ten years ago. 



COOPERATION WITH THE BUREAU OF ENTOMOLOGY 



If it is desirable that there be cooperation between station workers, 

 it is equally evident that there should be cooperation between the 



«L. O. Howard, Science, XXXII, p. 771, Dec. 2. 1910. 



