402 ENTOMOLOGY 
exerted in visits to infested localities and by addresses before 
agricultural meetings. Special emergencies often tax every 
resource of the official entomologist, especially if he is ham- 
pered by inadequate legislative provision for his work. Too 
often the public, disregarding the prophetic voice of the expert, 
refuses to 
ee 
close the door until the horse is stolen.” 
Aside from these emergencies, such as outbreaks of the 
Rocky Mountain locust, chinch bug, Hessian fly, San José 
scale and others, the State or Experiment Station entomologist 
has his hands full in any State of agricultural importance; in 
fact, can scarcely discharge his duties properly without the aid 
of a corps of competent assistants. 
This chapter would be incomplete without some mention of 
the progress of economic entomology in this country, especially 
since America 1s pre-eminently the home of the science. The 
history of the science is largely the history of the State and 
Government entomologists, for the following account of whose 
work we are indebted chiefly to the writings of Dr. Howard, 
to which the reader is referred for additional details as well 
as for a comprehensive review of the status of economic ento- 
mology in foreign countries. 
Massachusetts.—Dr. Vhaddeus W. Harris, though preceded 
as a writer upon economic entomology by William D. Peck, 
was our pioneer official entomologist—official simply in the 
sense that his classic volume was prepared and published at 
the expense of the state of Massachusetts, first (1841) as a 
“Report” and later as a “ Treatise.” The splendid Flint 
edition (1862), entitled ‘‘ A Treatise on Some of the Insects 
Injurious to Vegetation,” is still “the vade mecum of the 
working entomologist who resides in the northeastern section 
of the country.” 
Dr. Alpheus S. Packard gave the state three short but use- 
ful reports from 1871 to 1873. 
As entomologist to the Hatch Experiment Station of the 
Massachusetts Agricultural College, Prof. Charles H. Fernald 
has issued important bulletins upon injurious insects, and has 
