210 



our duty to see that he gets it with as little tax for the means as pos- 

 sible. 

 Gentlemen, I thank you. 



In the discussion which followed this address Mr. Cook expressed his 

 hearty concurrence in the general tendency of the recommendations 

 made. He had been especially interested in the subject of cooperation 

 among workers. He considers that there is a great field for this in the 

 indexing of the entomological writings of the country, so that it would 

 be easy to find what had been done. In reference to the status of mem- 

 bers in the Association of Agricultural Colleges and Experiment Sta- 

 tions, he supposed that Canadian members would have the same rights 

 in committees of the association that others had when they occupied 

 similar oflQcial positions. 



Mr. Smith agreed as to the desirability of some scheme for indexing 

 literature ; but as to cooperation in other lines of work he thinks the 

 time has not yet come. There is too much work coming on year after 

 year which must be at once attended to. It was impossible to do very 

 much planning ahead under present circumstances. His plans for the 

 year had been almost entirely upset by unexpected invasions of insect 

 pests, which he was compelled to study and report upon. The prime 

 necessity is to supply our constituency with that information which 

 they demand ; and until almost all of the more common forms are treated 

 we can not so command our time as to engage in any cooperative work 

 requiring close or continuous observation and study. 



Mr. James Fletcher, Dominion entomologist of Canada, spoke in high 

 terms of the excellence of the presidential address. He said: 



"You have drawn our attention to the fact, Mr. President, that this 

 is the most remarkable meeting of economic entomologists which has 

 ever met together, and I feel sure, sir, that every one present will agree 

 with me that your address is one of the most remarkable we have ever 

 had the privilege of listening to. You have covered so much ground 

 and spoken upon so many subjects upon which we know you to be the 

 highest authority, not only from the exceptional advantages you pos- 

 sess from your official position, but also from the experience you have 

 gained from earnest and close attention for a quarter of a century to 

 this special subject which we have gathered together to-day to discuss, 

 that if we heard nothing else we should be well repaid for the trouble 

 of attending this meeting. This great knowledge makes you facile 

 princeps the most eminent living economic entomologist — a title to which, 

 on account of the work you have done in developing the science of 

 practical entomology, no one will dispute your claim. The present 

 meeting, being a joint one of the Association of Economic Entomolo- 

 gists and of the Entomological Committee of the United States Ex- 

 periment Stations, leads me to make these remarks, because probably 

 the question which is most engaging the attention of many of us at the 

 present time is whether any good purpose will be served by maintaining 

 both of these oreranizations. 



