OUR FIGHT AGAINST INSECTS 193 



Washington has an annual budget amounting to more 

 than a million and a half dollars and employs a small 

 army of trained workers. Each state also has its corps 

 of entomologists. In California there is a competent 

 entomologist for each county of the State. 



Other countries have followed, and France and Italy 

 particularly have shown themselves to be keenly alive 

 to the importance of this work. Although the entomo- 

 logical problems of the British Isles are comparatively 

 less exacting than in the United States, Great Britain is 

 developing many competent workers in her vast colo- 

 nial possessions in many of which conditions are much 

 like those in the United States. In London there is an 

 Imperial Bureau of Entomology which is in constant 

 touch with the official entomologists of the different 

 dominions and colonies and assists them in many im- 

 portant ways. 



While it must seem to many people that insects are 

 more abundant and more injurious now than ever be- 

 fore, a large part of this opinion is due to our better 

 appreciation of conditions and to the fact that as the 

 population increases and the competition for existence 

 grows keener the losses brought about by the insects 

 are sooner noticed and more grievously realized. The 

 entomologist, when attacking an insect problem, first 

 attempts to learn all he can about the intimate life 

 history of the destructive species which engages his 

 attention. This is usually slow work and is usually 

 prosecuted while the entomologist at the same time is 

 learning the efficacy of spraying. Indeed, spraying is 

 practical both with and without knowledge of its effects. 



