330 
Under the direction of Professor Woodworth, 
the activity of the Division of Entomolgy in 
‘the investigation of insecticides dates back 
many years. The early publications of the 
insecticide laboratory by Woodworth and 
Colby were among the first to call attention to 
the need of legislation to protect the consumer 
against the unscrupulous or careless manu- 
facturer of insecticides. The development by 
Volek and Luther of a new type of lead 
arsenate which could be used with safety in 
the humid coast regions is to the credit of the 
Division. The later studies by the head of the 
Division on the complex problems arising in 
the practical application of fumigation meth- 
ods are probably the most exhaustive of any 
similar effort made elsewhere. 
The scope of the activities of the insecticide 
laboratory was enlarged in 1911 to include a 
study of fungicides. The state insecticide 
and fungicide law came into operation that 
year and the chemical work incidental to its 
administration was assigned to the laboratory. 
The administration of the law was placed in 
the hands of the director of this station, al- 
though the immediate supervision of the work 
was assigned to the head of the division of 
Entomology. The writer became identified 
with the work at this time. 
The most pressing need for chemical study 
appeared to be the origination and perfection 
of methods of examination of insecticides and 
fungicides which were on the market in end- 
less variety and were of such complex compo- 
sition as to defy ordinary analytical procedure. 
An intelligent study of analytical methods 
presupposed some slight knowledge at least of 
the nature and source of the raw materials 
and of manufacturing methods in order to 
know what impurities to look for and to fairly 
judge their permissible limits in commercial 
samples. 
The reorganized laboratory began work 
along the lines indicated above, but it soon 
became evident that it could be of more use 
to the state than to merely inform the public 
of the composition of the materials which 
eame to its notice. The greater need seemed 
to be a more complete knowledge of the toxi- 
SCIENCE 
[N. 8. Vou. XLVIII. No. 1238 
cology of the materials; a better knowledge of 
which constituents of the various preparations 
are active and which inert; the constituents 
injurious to foliage, and to what extent; the 
most suitable remedies to choose in order to 
meet the varied and exacting requirements for 
the control of pests; and which materials could 
be mixed with safety and applied in combina- 
tion. 
As opportunity was afforded, the solution of 
some of these problems was also attacked. It 
soon became evident that the accumulation of 
laboratory data alone was wholly inadequate 
for the solution of many of the problems en- 
countered. A definite effort was made to in- 
terpret the results of the laboratory by means 
of field observations whenever possible. 
As a result of these studies, the laboratory 
has made contributions to agricultural litera- 
ture from time to time. In this manner and 
through correspondence and by occasional 
talks by members of the staff before agricul- 
tural audiences, it is felt that the work of the 
laboratory has been of greater usefulness to 
both manufacturer and consumer than if the 
work had been confined more largely to the 
carrying out of the routine police work of the 
law. 
Another activity of the laboratory has been 
that of instruction. When the writer first 
began to collect material suitable for the pre- 
sentation of a course entitled “ Insecticides 
and Fungicides,” it was soon discovered that 
the great mass of literature on the subject was 
on the practical use of these materials rather 
than on their composition and properties. 
Such courses offered at other universities were 
being given by horticulturists, entomologists, 
plant pathologists or botanists and the subject 
was, therefore, discussed from their standpoints. 
Furthermore, it was found that the students 
of this college of agriculture were already 
being well supplied with adequate instruction 
along these lines by the several divisions. It 
was clear that it would be inadvisable to offer 
a course of lectures patterned after the usual 
lines—largely a reflection of the information 
already supplied by other courses. There did 
secm to be a need, however, of a course pre- 
