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Mr. Howard regretted the use of the term “‘/aisser-faire,” sinceits literal 
interpretation would not properly represent the author's position. No 
great problem of insect extermination had appeared until within the 
last few years. The work against the gipsy moth was a case in point. 
Here the undertaking seemed hopeless until a thorough and scientific 
examination of the infested region and the methods adopted showed it 
to be possible. In the paper referred to as read before the Society for 
the Promotion of Agricultural Science. Dr. John B. Smith had shown 
that many insects escape even vigilant quarantine measures, but, not- 
withstanding this, cases of severe infestation are detected and destroyed. 
The hidden insects may slip by, but the great tide will be arrested. 
Even Dr. Smith admitted the effectiveness, to a certain extent, of the 
quarantine system, and, in regard to inspection, stated that he believed 
it to be a good thing, that it would make shippers more careful, and 
that fruit growers would probably get better and cleaner stock than 
received otherwise. Mr. Marlatt himself admits the advisability of the 
stoppage of palpably infested plants at the port of entry. So.after all. 
the advisability of quarantine and inspection measures seemed to be 
admitted on all hands, but too much must not be expected of them. 
The efficacy of quarantine had been well illustrated by the excellent 
work of Mr. Alex. Craw at San Francisco. 
With regard to the San Jose scale the speaker held that the warn- 
ings which the entomologists gave to the fruit growers and to the nurs- 
erymen on its first discovery in the East were perfectly justifiable, and 
that on the whole the alarm excited had been productive of great good. 
Much beneficial legislation had been enacted. and the work done 
against this insect by the small army of workers had greatly increased 
our knowledge of the action of insecticides, both upon insects and upon 
plants, and enlarged our ideas as to the best methods of applying. 
While the tone of the address may be considered to be pessimistic, 
and its temporary effect depressing, we must admit that it is highly 
original and its arguments ingenious. The broad significance of local 
measures and local work, as defined by Mr. Marlatt, must not be over- 
looked. The field of work to which he would restrict the entomologists 
still includes practically everything which we are doing and intend to 
try to accomplish. The address must be read at leisure and assimi- 
lated slowly. 
Mr. Webster called attention to the fact that while the propositions 
laid down in the address were less difficult of comprehension by intelli- 
gent people, the ignorant, the obstinate, and the lazy would gladly avail 
themselves of the opportunity to take refuge behind the author’s state- 
ments, the effect of which, distributed as they will be through the agri- 
cultural press, will be to promote neglect and shiftlessness regarding 
insect pests in general. Misconception of the address is to be feared, 
even among the intelligent, and for others it will be easy and disastrous. 
If foreign pests came to this country naturally, we should probably 
