82 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



danger. Doctor Prinzing, in his monograph on " Epidemics Result- 

 ing from Wars " states that, " Until comparatively recent times the 

 most serious human cost of war has not been losses in the field, nor 

 even the losses from disease in the armies, but the losses from epi- 

 demics disseminated among the civil population. It was the war 

 epidemics and their sequelae, rather than direct military losses that 

 accounted for the deep prostration of Germany after the Thirty 

 Years' War. Such epidemics were also the gravest consequence of 

 the Napoleonic Wars." Wasted resources and reduced man power in 

 certain European countries mean a relaxation of sanitary precautions 

 and with the renewed activities of insects another season there will 

 be almost unexampled opportunities for the spread of disease unless 

 precautions are adopted and rigidly enforced at the very outset. 



Special entomological service. The plan was to promote the pro- 

 duction of larger and better crops and was a development from and 

 continuation of the insect pest survey and information service con- 

 ducted by the Entomologist during the summer of 191 7. It was 

 emergency war work. A series of weekly reports or digests were 

 issued throughout the active part of the season, the first appearing 

 May 23d and the last August ist. These were distributed to farm 

 bureau agents throughout the State and to a nimiber of specially 

 interested persons, particularly those in position to influence the 

 adoption of better measures for the control of insect pests. This 

 was supplemented by correspondence directing the attention of 

 observers to features of special importance. The service was possible 

 only through the cooperation of the farm bureau agents and a nimiber 

 of observers in various parts of the State, the latter mostly earlier, 

 correspondents of the office. In addition to the weekly reports 

 mentioned above, special circulars were issued warning of probable 

 injury by grass web worm, potato aphis, summer leaf feeders and the 

 wheat midge and recording the most recent developments. 



The main purpose of the undertaking was to secure early and 

 accurate reports of insect activities from all over the State, to sum- 

 marize the information thus obtained, distribute it promptly, and 

 thus effect material reduction in the serious losses annually inflicted 

 by these pests. Particular emphasis was laid upon the initial signs 

 of injury in order to promote control before much damage had been 

 caused. The more important crops received first attention, specially 

 the insect enemies of potatoes, such fruits as apples, pears, peaches 

 and cherries, cereal and forage crops and truck and garden crops. 



It is impossible, from the nature of the case, to give exact figures as 

 to the value of the service. The mere fact that a close watch was 



