KEPORT OF THE SOCIETY 71 



beneath the experiment number. The large numeral is the experiment or 

 line number, the small numeral is the generation number. Fourth generation 

 aphids would be labelled: 1„ 2«, 10„ in the first born series, and L 1„ L2„ 

 and L 10„ in the last born series. 1< and L 1, would be great granddaughters of 

 1,. With an insect like the pear psjdla, the method of labelling would be 

 modified in the following way: The overwintering adults would be, e.g. Al, 

 A9, A15; the first generation eggs E 1„ EQp E 15i ; the first generation nymphus 

 N li, N9i, N 15,; the first generation adults A 1^, and so on. Notes recorded 

 under these simple marks can in many cases be readily put into tabular form. 



All important data secured from the insectary experiments should be 

 checked up in the orchard. All critical stages in the insect's development 

 should be, wherever it is possible, correlated with a stage of growth of some 

 common plant, for example, the bursting of peach buds; the "pink" stage of 

 apple blossom buds; the full bloom of European plums; the setting of Concord 

 grapes, and the first blush of early cherries. Phenological records of this na- 

 ture are highly desirable. They are more valuable than dates which vary too 

 much in different seasons and in difterent localities. Weather records should 

 be kept and notes should be made on everything having a direct or indirect 

 bearing on the problem under investigation. Full notes should be taken 

 immediately after the observations are made — the memory should never be 

 trusted. 



In carrying on control experiments, there are two important principles 

 which should be kept in mind. The first one is that the control of an insect pest 

 is not a problem bj^ itself, but is merely a portion of the complex problem of 

 orcharding. In working out a method or methods of control, the entomologist 

 must take into consideration not only the effect of the treatment on the insect, 

 but also its effect on other insects, on fungus diseases, on the trees, on the 

 foliage and on the condition of the fruit. The second principle is that a remedy 

 which is unduly costly is no remedy, because the orchardist will not adopt it. 

 The question of cost is an extremely important one, and one unfortunately which 

 some investigators are prone to lose sight of. Working in close co-operation with 

 the horticulturist and plant pathologist, the entomologist's ideal should be to 

 keep the cost of pest control down to the absolute minimum, b}^ utilizing to 

 the greatest extent possible horticultural practices such as orchard sanitation, 

 cultivation and pruning; b}^ keeping the number of spra\^ applications down 

 to a minimum, and by modifiing a spray schedule rather than by adding an 

 application to it (wherever this can be done). Right here I feel impelled to plead 

 for closer co-operation among orchard entomologists, plant pathologists and 

 horticulturists. It is true that the entomologist, the plant pathologist and the 

 horticulturist each has his special field of activities, but it is equally true that 

 they have in common a most important field, that of pest control. More than 

 that, they all have exactly the same ultimate object in view, viz: the production 

 of profitable crops of high quality fruit. 



