16 
articulatus, common in the West Indian Islands and in Central 
America and Mexico. The folly of such a course is evident when it is 
remembered that this scale insect has been present in tropical America 
for a century, if not longer, and commerce has proceeded without 
restriction heretofore on that account; and our. southern States, the 
ones most likely to suffer, have never received any damage therefrom. 
As a matter of fact, this scale insect gained a foothold at Key West 
many years ago, and perhaps in other places in the extreme South, but 
it has never caused any notable damage, nor, in fact, any damage worthy 
of reporting. 
Taking a radical view, one may even question whether it would not be 
betterin thelong run, instead of trying to keep out injurious insects, with 
the necessary troublesome and mischievous restrictions on commerce of 
all sorts, to let such matters take their own course. The result 
ultimately would be a stable condition, and we would not be wasting 
our efforts in quarantining our shores or our several States from foreign. 
pests, but could spend it in finding out the best methods of controlling 
these enemies. As a rule, plants are affected by only one injurious 
insect at a time, speaking more particularly of the scale insects, and it. 
does not really make much difference which one if we know how to 
control it. At any rate, I am inclined to believe that much of our 
effort in the line of quarantine and inspection, and restrictions on com- 
merce, except perhaps, for the detection and stoppage of notoriously 
infested stock, is wasted energy; for I believe that ultimately, in spite of 
all we may try to do, the principal injurious pests of cultivated plants 
will extend their range wherever the host plants are grown. If this be 
true, why make mountains out of what may after all be molehills; see 
horrible menace in easily-controllable enemies; exploit to the utmost 
simple evils, thus putting the products of a whole country under sus- 
picion and RAtiely restricting its commerce? 
This does not necessarily mean that we are to abandon all inspection 
of foreign stock, or to give up all quarantine regulations; nor does it mean 
that we are to open our doors freely to the insect “tee of all foreign 
countries; but it does mean that it is highly desirable to fairly count 
the cost and view dispassionately the limitations attending such work. 
The other line of effort which seems to me to be often of questionable 
utility is that directed toward extermination. I have already alluded to 
the fact that not a single notable case of extermination of an insect at 
all well established, has been effected by the agency of man; nor do I 
believe that such result will ever be accomplished. The stamping out 
of the Colorado potato beetle in Germany is not a case in point, because 
this insect never was established in the true sense, and, furthermore, it 
is a large and conspicuous species, limited in Germany to a single food 
plant grown only under cultivation. 
We may, it is true, by the expenditure of a large amount of money 
and the most earnest effort, effect a very complete checking of damage 
