Plant Sanitation. 



108 



[Feb. 1907. 



DISCUSSION. 



At the conclusion of Dr. Howard's address the Chairman stated that 

 opportunity was offered for any questions on the subject. 



Mr. James H. Bowditch said that he would like to ask the lecturer if he would 

 not advise the acceptance, as a matter of additional precaution, of the offer of 

 Hon. Ell wood Cooper of California, who guarantees to introduce effective parasites for 

 the sum of $25,000, to be paid only when the work is a proven success. 



Dr. HoAvard replied that he had a good opinion of Mr. Cooper and that the 

 work in California in the line of introduction of parasitic insects had in some instances 

 been successful, but if the woi'k in Massachusetts should prove a success how should 

 we know when both were working in the same field, whether his parasites or those of 

 the U. S. Department of Agriculture were producing the better results ? And, 

 therefore, how would the State know whether to pay Mr. Cooper the remuneration 

 mentioned ? 



Mr. Bowditch replied that it did not make any difference to us, the sufferers, 

 whose parasites they were, provided we got rid of the pests. Mr. Cooper proposes 

 to employ George Compere, who has just been favorably spoken of by Dr. Howaid, 

 to work with him. When a man is critically ill a consultation of doctors is both 

 proper and desirable, and that is the condition in which we now find ourselves in 

 relation to this great trouble that come upon our woodlands and orchards. He 

 said he should be sorry and disappointed if Mr. Cooper refused to work with Dr. 

 Howard. Mr. Bowditch stated that he had consulted the Attorney General of the 

 State to learn if it were possible to have the $25,000 set aside for this purpose out 

 of the remaining unexpended balance of the general state appropriation of $300,000, 

 and was informed that the question should properly come from Superintendent 

 Kirkland, who has promised to make the enquiry. He had also received a letter 

 from W. D. Sohier, Esq., who was of the opinion that the better Avay would be to 

 engage Mr. Cooper by private subscription, and to this Mr, Bowditch agreed. 

 There was no doubt that the amount required could be raised easily and he could 

 see no objection to the business men of Massachusetts taking up the matter and 

 employing Mr. Cooper to perform this work. There had been received already an 

 offer from an Ex-President of this Society, Mr. Nathaniel T. Kidder, to be one of 

 five to contribute $5,000 each under proper conditions, for this purpose. He said 

 that he certainly hoped that Dr. Howard and Mr. Cooper would join forces, and 

 that we ought not to neglect any plan that seems to offer additional prospect of 

 permanent relief. 



[Transactions of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, for the year 1906, 

 Part 1.] 



