22 ASSOCIATION OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGISTS. 



of mental activity quite foreign to that of the student and scientist. 

 Some of these duties are not pleasant to one of his training and 

 usual character, but the work required has had its value to the ])eople, 

 whether it has been best for the entomologist or not. I suppose no 

 real naturalist with such work in his hands but has at times been led 

 to ponder the question as to whether in this inspection work he was 

 not going too far aside from the investigations in which he is chiefly 

 interested and which by training and disposition he is better fitted 

 than anyone else to prosecute. Can not this purely practical work 

 be done by a class of men who ai'e by nature satisfied with it as an 

 occupation? Experience has, I think, shown that it can not be, in a 

 satisfactory manner, without the help, by supervision or otherwise, 

 of the scientific worker; and I think it is always to be regretted when 

 such work falls into the hands of those who have no interest in it 

 beyond the salaries to be obtained. It seems to me that this organi- 

 zation should take a stand for inspection l)y the entomological ex- 

 pert, since otherAvise the issuing of certificates becomes a farce that 

 will ultimately prove a discredit to the craft. There are many 

 things about this line of work that I should like to dwell upon — the 

 merits and defects of our State laws, the desirability for greater 

 uniformity in such laws, the importance of having a national law 

 providing for such inspection as can not well be carried on by the 

 States, the kinds of insects whose presence should be regarded as of 

 sufficient importance to condemn stock, the desirability of providing 

 for both insect and fungous troubles under one inspection, and, espe- 

 cially, methods of treating condemned stock. Each one of these 

 topics might well afford a programme for an entire meeting of the 

 Association. I am impelled, however, to add a few words concern- 

 ing fumigation as a means of ridding stock of scale insects. From 

 purely theoretical considerations it Avas, at the outset of our inspec- 

 tion experience, regarded as a sort of panacea for scale and most 

 other insects. More experience has shoAvn this to be only generally 

 true. There are insects that survive exposure to any of the charges 

 of gas that are connuonly recommended by inspectors. AVhat shall 

 we do for them ? The nurseryman does not like to apply anj'thing 

 to his trees that sticks and thus tells a story to those who may buy 

 treated trees. The inspector, on the other hand, if he be conscientious 

 and honest, does not wish to certify such stock when merel}^ fumi- 

 gated. Still another serious difficulty arises under laws requiring 

 fumigation of all nursery stock. Plants vary widely, I find, in their 

 susceptibility to iujury from hydrocyanic-acid gas of the strength 

 commonly prescribed, and nurserymen rightfully complain of loss 

 inflicted on them from this source, by the killing and severe injuring 

 of perfectly healthy stock of certain kinds. I must say, as an in- 

 spector, that I do not approve of some of the laws enacted, because 



