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JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 



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is not unlikely that at some future time when there are a considerable 

 number of entomologists who are especially interested in extending 

 knowledge of economic entomology, there will be established a division 

 or branch of this Association to facilitate interchange of ideas. For 

 our present purposes we may call him the '^extension entomologist." 

 Some states have had field representatives who have been of much 

 service in keeping the home institution in touch with field conditions. 

 These men have been charged particularly with getting information 

 from the field, rather than with giving it to the farmers. It will be 

 but natural to combine in the duties of the extension entomologists 

 the work which some states have had the field men do; that is, as they 

 are about the state do special errands, such as collecting specimens, 

 materials and notes for the use of the research men and teachers. He 

 can be of great service in numerous ways. His special interest will be 

 to gather and systematize information from all sources, but particu- 

 larly from his co-workers in his own state and not only get it to the 

 farmer, but get it into practical use by the farmer. While his particu- 

 lar interest is to effectively extend knowledge he need not and should 

 not lose the same scientific spirit that now actuates entomologists. 

 We wish the results of our investigations to be taken to the farmer by 

 the entomologist and in the same spirit as in the past. It could not be 

 as effective to have entomology combined in one man with some other 

 special line, perhaps plant pathology, though for a few j^ears we may 

 be called upon to accommodate ourselves to such adjustments. We 

 should, as soon as possible, have our own representatives in the field. 



Farming interests have suffered heavily in the past through the 

 experiment station's being uninformed or poorly informed concerning 

 insect injuries that are taking place. The extension entomologist may, 

 through his county agents and through his own observations, do much 

 to prevent widespread damages. In Montana this spring we expe- 

 rienced a widespread and very serious outbreak of army cutworms. 

 In one count}^, alone, it was estimated that 12,000 acres of fall grain 

 were eaten off, requiring replanting. We have no way of knowing 

 just how many acres of grain were destroyed in the whole state, but 

 it is probable that 100,000 is not ver}^ far from correct. Beside this, 

 manj^ thousands of acres w^ere saved through the timely use of remedies 

 which the state entomologist recommended. Much more could have 

 been saved if the office had been informed in time. If the agents had 

 been trained to observe the first indications of the presence of this 

 insect or if the department had had a representative in the field, we 

 should have received earlier advice. 



It is too earh^ to completely outline the duties of the extension 

 entomologist, but some things he should do are already- apparent. In 



