217 



Mr. Webster thought there were two or three ways of getting at the 

 public. A very good one is to publish the letter and reply in the local 

 paper whence the letter is received. In that way it reaches the point 

 where the information is most needed. 



Mr. Smith thinks the best way to reach the farmer is to go and talk 

 to him. Bulletins are not always read ; but if you can meet the man 

 personally at farmer's clubs, county board meetings, or institutes, you 

 can interest him and tell nim exactly what he wants to know. He 

 can see the bearing of the recommendations made, and is more apt to 

 follow the advice given in the bulletins. He believes in treating the 

 farmers as intelligent men, capable of understanding the bearing of 

 facts, and he does not hesitate to give them such anatomical or physi- 

 ological facts as may be necessary to show the reasons for the recom- 

 mendations made. He finds that in New Jersey at least they are able 

 to follow him and appreciate argument. He believed in making a 

 good many of the experiments on the farms of leading growers. By 

 convincing these men the station obtained most powerful allies. 



Mr. Cook suggests that our thought must be to do the people most 

 good, whether this means the publication of old or new matter. 



Mr. Harvey believes in issuing old matter in the most favorable form 

 for use. In the reports and bulletins it would be permanent and could 

 be referred to when needed. 



Mr. Aldrich inquired whether the entomologist was usually charged 

 with the practical work of keeping farm and garden free of insects. At 

 his station they had been expected to take charge of the campaign. 



Mr. Smith read the following : 



FERTILIZERS AS INSECTICIDES. 



By J. B. Smith. 



During the past season my attention was called to this subject by a 

 farmer, who told me he cleared his pear trees of the scurfy scale by 

 washing with water in which muriate of potash had been dissolved. 

 He stated that this had been perfectly effective, and had entirely cleared 

 the washed parts even when no scrubbing had been done. This led me 

 to experiment a little with the potash salts, and to make inquiries of 

 farmers who had used them in fertilizing quantities. I found the uni- 

 versal testimony to be that wherever potash was used on corn there 

 was no trouble with cutworms or wireworms. Mr. E. B. Yoorhees, the 

 senior chemist of the station, is very positive on this point. He says 

 that on his father's farm they were greatly troubled with cutworms and 

 wireworms, especially on corn after sod ; but since using the potash 

 salts there is no further trouble on that score. Other testimony is to 

 the same effect and is unanimous. In Salem County, N. J., in which I 

 recommended kainit for peach-tree aphides, I was informed that young 

 trees set in ground prepared with this substance grew well where pre- 



