REPORT OF THE 50CIET"i 67 



THE ORCHARD ENTOMOLOGIST 



W. A. Ross, Entomological Laboratory, Vineland Sta., Ont. 



As many of the members of this society are probably not familiar with the 

 nature of a field entomologist's work, I do not think I could do anything better 

 than present a paper, which I warn you will be rambling and disjointed, on the 

 orchard entomologist. 



His Training 



First of all, what training should he have? Several excellent papers 

 bearing on the training of an economic entomologist have been published 

 recently in the Journal of Economic Entomolog}'. In these papers the need 

 of acquiring as broad an education as possible is forcibly pointed out; the 

 importance of some grounding in fundamental sciences such as chemistry, 

 physics, botany, zoolog}', ecology and meteorology as well as entomology is 

 stressed; in brief all the chief requisites for a thorough training in economic 

 entom.ology are dwelt on except one viz : some experience, the more the better, 

 in farm or orchard work. I should not presume to add to what has been written 

 by much more capable men regarding the entomologist's academic training, but 

 I do feel contrained to say a word about the orchard practioner's need of having 

 some orchard or farm experience. 



The entomologist engaged in fruit insect investigations is concerned not 

 only with insect pests, but also with the relations of the insects to the trees, of 

 the trees to the insects, and of both of these to orchard practices. In com- 

 bating the insect, in protecting the tree, he has to make use, not only of insecti- 

 cides, but also of cultural measures. It is, therefore, fundamental that he 

 should have some knowledge of horticulture and that tj'pe of knowledge which to 

 a large extent can only be acquired from actual experience. Without this expe- 

 rience, he may lack a proper sense of proportion and may easily fall into the 

 error of considering the control of some pest a problem in itself, and not, as it is 

 in reaUty, merel}' a part of the whole problem of orcharding. Without this 

 experience as a background, he may fail to realize that the fruit grower's busi- 

 ness is primarily to grow fruit successfully and profitably, and not to kill bugs. 

 Without this experience, he will work under as serious a handicap as that of a 

 medical doctor who has not walked the hospitals — he will have scant knowledge 

 of his patients the trees. 



Some Minor Trials and Tribulations 



An entomologist cannot afford to be too sensitive. He is very liable, particu- 

 larly when he is fresh out of college, to meet hard-boiled fruit growers who take a 

 grim delight in showing him how little he actually does know. He is apt to 

 come into contact with men who take the good things he does for granted, but 



