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bear an increasingly large proportion of the expenses of such 

 service is a further indication of their confidence in this plan. 



In emphasis of the justification and value of this service I 

 can do no better than quote from a recent paper on the subject 

 prepared by Professor C. R. Crosby, our extension entomologist, 

 and G. R. Palmer, one of our most successful field assistants. 



It is becoming increasingly apparent that to be most effective demon- 

 stration work in the control of insect pests and plant diseases should be 

 conducted for the most part on the basis of a seasonal program of treatment 

 and not by demonstrating the control of any single disease or pest nor by 

 isolated tests of spray materials or methods of application. The object 

 of this kind of demonstration work is to show the value of the approved 

 seasonal program of treatment as adapted to local conditions and to the 

 weather prevalent during the season, and to teach the growers the most 

 effective and economical method of protecting their crops from insect pests 

 and plant diseases. Both from an educational and financial standpoint 

 demonstrations conducted in accordance with the seasonal program are 

 of greater value not only to the individual but also to the county as a 

 whole. Efficiency requires that the work be done with an organized 

 group of growers rather than with individuals. In order to achieve this 

 result it is necessary that sound expert advice be available and that the 

 necessary information be placed in the hands of the growers at the time 

 when it ■will be of most use to them. 



The plan of doing this work by means of field assistants was adopted 

 because our experiences with industrial fellowships financed by associations 

 of farmers had shown that the greatest good can be accomphshedin the 

 control of insect pests and plant diseases by having a trained man located 

 in a definite territory where he can become thoroughly acquainted with the 

 local problems, can watch the crops throughout the growing season and by 

 his intimate knowledge of conditions be able to anticipate and prevent 

 destructive outbreaks. He also is able to win the respect and confidence 

 of the farmers as they become familiar with his aims and methods of work. 

 Our experiences have shown that, in general, graduate students, preferably 

 the younger ones, are more efficient and successful in this line of work than 

 are older persons who have become more or less settled in life and conse- 

 quently opinionated. It has been generally supposed that for this kind 

 of work mature men would be more desirable, but as a matter of fact such 

 is not the case. Wliere we have been compelled to use older men not 

 actively interested in science or where we have used graduate students who 

 were past the optimum age for stud}'-, we have had more misfits and failures 

 than where younger men with more active interest have been employed. 

 This may seem paradoxical. The explanation is that the salarj^ available 

 is not sufficient to attract mature men of sufficient ability. It is much 

 better for the work to employ young men of special ability in their ap- 



