34 



ward with some degree of continuity. A proper note system, whether 

 like the above or some other, should gTeatly obviate this. The trouble 

 lies in a lack of system. 



Many large business houses are now discarding their ledgers and 

 keeping their accounts and other data on cards, saving money by 

 time saved with the greater convenience of such a S3 T stem. Further- 

 more, it enables facts and information to be obtained readily, which, 

 by the use of books, required so much work that they were rarely 

 ascertained. By following some suoh methods the usefulness and 

 permanent value of our entomological work can undoubtedly be 

 greatly increased. 



In discussing this paper, Mr. Felt stated that he had adopted a card 

 system for accessions to the New York State collections, and that he 

 believed any system would prove impracticable unless it was as 

 simple as possible, in order to save time and clerical work. He 

 has adopted a topical arrangement for all easily classified replies 

 to letters, minuting upon the original the topic under which the copy 

 is filed. All communications are filed alphabetically under name of 

 writer or institution, and if the reply is in the topical file its subject 

 can easily be ascertained by reference to the original communication. 

 This system avoids the necessity of employing index cards and the 

 labor incident thereto, and in many instances a reference, either to 

 the alphabetic or topical file, would be sufficient, and only occasion- 

 ally would it be necessary to consult both. He did not think that a 

 collection could be catalogued satisfactorily. 



Mr. Webster remarked that note keeping should be simply a means 

 to attain a desired end, and that each person ought to select a system 

 that best met his wants. The simpler methods should always be 

 selected for the reason that an elaborate system will, in the course of 

 time, become cumbersome and require so much clerical work that for 

 most entomologists it would be wholly impracticable. 



Mr. Fletcher observed that card catalogues were being used more 

 than ever in all lines of work and that the entomologist should adopt 

 such improvements as would be of assistance in his work and save 

 time. 



The following paper was then presented : 



NOTES ON THE TREATMENT OF NURSERY BUDS. 



By A. F. Burgess, Columbus, Ohio. . 



A common method of treating buds or grafts that are to be used by 

 nurserymen has been to immerse them in whale oil soap mixture or 

 to fumigate them with hydrocyanic-acid gas before planting in order 

 to prevent the possible introduction of the San Jose scale. Some 



