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hig-hest in his profession in the whole West, we most hopefully 

 mention the name of Benjamin D. Walsh, of Rock Island."^ 

 As a result of this movement an act was passed in 1867 

 authorizing the Governor to appoint, with the consent of the 

 Senate, some competent scientific person as state entomologist, 

 whose duty it should be to investigate the entomology of the 

 state of Illinois, and to study the history of the insects in- 

 jurious to the products of the horticulturist and the agricultur- 

 ist. Under this general and rather inadequate warrant the 

 work of the office was prosecuted by Walsh, LeBaron, Thomas, 

 and the present writer, expanding with the development of 

 its field and becoming more complicated and precise in response 

 to the various demands made upon it, until, in 1907, a new law 

 was passed, by which it was made the duty of the Entomologist 

 to inve-stigate, by himself or by his assistants, all insects dan- 

 gerous or injurious in this state to agricultural and horticul- 

 tural plants and crops, to live stock, to nursery trees and plants, 

 to the products of the truck-farm and the vegetable garden, 

 to the shade trees and other ornamental vegetation of cities 

 and towns, to the products of mills and the contents of ware- 

 houses, and to all other valuable property; and to investigate 

 all insects in the state injurious or dangerous to the public 

 health. He is further required to conduct experiments for the 

 prevention and control of injuries to person and property by 

 such insects, and to instruct the people of the state, by lecture 

 and demonstration, in the best methods of preserving and pro- 

 tecting their property and their health against insect injuries. 

 Consequent upon the appearance in Illinois of the San Jose 

 scale, first discovered here in 1896, a law was passed in 1899 

 putting u])on the State Entomologist the further duty of in- 

 specting annually all nurseries in the state, and, where the 

 stock and premises of these nurseries were found free from 

 dangerous insects and fungus pests, of issuing to their owners 

 certificates of insi)ection, without which it became illegal for 

 them to do a nursery business. Tie is likewise required to 

 supervise importations of nursery stock into the state, and to 

 inspect all orchards and other similar property which he has 



