17 



Some of these letters were not answered because of the fact that we were not 

 rble to get a proper transh^tion. No adequate conception of tlie difference of 

 these ph^ns and the range covered by them can be given in so brief a statement. 

 None of the plans were found satisfactory. 



Anyone who has attempted to keep up Avith the present-day litera- 

 ture of economic entomoloiiT must have been impressed witli its in- 

 oreasinoly heterogeneous character. Possibly nothino; so well illus- 

 trates the widenino- scope of the field of applied entomology as the 

 great range of subjects treated, covering, for instance, such subjects as : 



Smyrna Fig Culture in the F^nited States. 



Extermination of Malaria-Breeding Mosquitoes. 



Aquatic insects of New York State [as bearing on the food supply of fishes]. 



Insect Enemies of Forests and Forest Products. 



Contributions to a Study of the Insect Fauna of Human Excrement, with 

 especial reference to the si)reiid of Tyi)hoid Fever by Flies. 



Combating Insects with Fungous Diseases. 



Intraradical Nutrition of Diseased 'J'rees for the Purpose ()f Curing them and 

 Destroying Parasites. 



A long list of titles might be presented, but it is unnecessary. In 

 so fertile a field the literature of economic entomology must become 

 more and more diverse in the future. A very important question 

 arises, namely. How may one keep reasonably well informed as to 

 the results obtained by his co-workers in lines somewhat different 

 from his own? This point has been referred to during previous 

 meetings of this association. Doctor Smith, in his presidential ad- 

 dress before this society on the occasion of its seventh annual meeting, 

 exj^tressed himself in reference to this matter as follows : 



Can we not devise some jilan by means of which we' can keep informed of 

 Avliat is going on without the necessitj of wasting time by examining everj'- 

 thing and then missing it allV 



Perhaps the writer feels more strongly on this point than the situ- 

 ation warrants, but in his efforts to catch up with economic literature 

 after about two years of work in the field under conditions discourag- 

 ing to efforts of this character, he has been impressed with the desir- 

 ability of some scheme, as suggested by Doctor Smith. The whole 

 matter has appeared to be of sufiicient importance to warrant the con- 

 sideration of some plan whereby the desired results might be secured. 

 Simply to put the matter in more definite shape for consideration. T 

 wotild propose that a person be annually designated for each of the 

 principal natural divisions of the general subject whose duty it will 

 be to present, at the following meeting, a resume of the principal 

 results achieved in that particular branch during the year. The 

 reports of these several persons would become a part of our proceed- 

 ings and could be referred to at will by workers in other lines.. 



25524— No. 52—05 yi 2 



