9 



Association. Its influence, directly and indirectly, for the better- 

 ment of applied entomology has been most important and is increas- 

 ing from year to year. The bulletins which contain the proceedings 

 of the IG annual meetings of the association, and which cover in all 

 1,541 pages, are a most valuable feature of our literature. 



It must be a matter of much satisfaction to all entomologists to 

 note the increasing api)reciation in which the work of the economic 

 entomologist is held, both by his constituents and the general public. 

 In the earlier days of the science his work was often far from appre- 

 ciated at its true worth. Experience, however, has been a constant 

 teaclier. Certain injurious insects, by their widespread injury to 

 important farm and orchard crops, have served to bring prominently 

 before the people the importance of the role which insects play, not 

 only in the matter of crop production, but in influencing the price of 

 staple articles of food and clothing in the markets of the world. 

 The recently established fact of the transmission and carriage of 

 diseases of man by mosquitoes and flies has arrested the attention of 

 people of many classes, and, along with other discoveries of scarcely 

 less importance, has been the means of exciting the interest and 

 attention of many who previously were largely ignorant of the work 

 and aims of the science. The considerable alarm following the 

 announcement of the establishment of the San Jose scale in the East 

 had scarcely begun to wane before the increasing raA'ages of the 

 Mexican cotton boll weevil brought this species into wide notoriety, 

 and probably never in the history of the Avorld has an insect species 

 been more generally the subject of comment than has the latter. 



The present recognized importance of insect control in its relation 

 to the welfare of our agricultural classes can not be better indicated 

 than by calling attention to the prominent mention given to ento- 

 mological matters by the President in his recent message to the 

 Congress of the United States. The following are his words : 



The cotton crop of the country is threatened with root rot and with liollworm 

 and the hoU weevil. Our pathologists will find innnune varieties that will resist 

 the root rot, and the bollworm can be dealt with, but the boll weevil is a serious 

 menace to the cotton crop. It is a Central American insect that has become 

 acclimated in Texas and has done great damage. A scientist of the Department 

 of Agriculture has found the weevil at home in Guatemala, being kept in check 

 by an ant which has been brought to our cotton fields for observation. It is 

 hoped that it may serve a good purpose. * * * 



The insect friends and enemies of the farmer are getting attention. The 

 enemy of the San Jose scale was found near the Great Wall of China and is now 

 cleaning up our orchards. The fig-fertilizing insect imported from Turkey has 

 helped to establish an industry in California that amounts to from .50 to 100 

 tons of dried figs annually, and is extending over the Pacific coast. A parasitic 

 fly from South Africa is keeping in subjection the black scale, the worst pest of 

 the orange and lemon industry iu California. 



