February, ’23] 
felt: problems in economic entomology 
39 
last few years, in plant protection and plant quarantine, I have discovered 
that the knowledge and appreciation of that work is almost universal. 
Acting in my peculiar capacity as buffer for all the kicks that come in, 
I have come across a great many people whose feelings had been hurt, 
but I have yet to come across a single person who has not expressed at 
least the realization of the need of protection from plant enemies. It is 
practically universal. Nearly every woman and man of the country 
has some appreciation of that need. 
This does not mean that we are known as well as we ought to be known, 
but I do feel we stand well in the minds of the people of the country. 
If we can strengthen that status by our own attitude, our own reasonable 
and proper self-pride, I think it may help matters a great deal. 
Past President Cooley: I am aware that we like to think over an 
address at some length before we commit ourselves to words. I ad¬ 
mire the courage of the speaker in departing from stated facts and im¬ 
parted knowledge and looking forward. He has stimulated thought. 
An entomologist should not dwell too long in the field of imagination, 
yet he needs some imagination to make him progress. I feel that the 
President’s address has been very stimulating in that it directs us to 
look forward. 
President Sanders resumed the chair. 
President J. G. Sanders: The first paper on our program is “Problems 
in Economic Entomology,” by E. P. Felt. 
PROBLEMS IN ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 
By E. P. Felt, Albany , N. Y. 
Abstract 
The annual cost of plant quarantines for the various States is one and a half million 
dollars; for twenty-eight Californian Counties nearly kj of a million dollars; for 
the Federal Quarantine Service $185,310.00 and in addition one and a half million 
dollars for the control of regional pests. Costs might be reduced by the adoption of 
a plan which would obviate reinspection. Quarantines are human and eradication 
of recently established insects, such as the camphor scale, Pseudaonidia duplex , 
would be a logical sequence. 
The Gipsy Moth, Porthetria dispar is now established along approximately seventy- 
five miles of the eastern border of New York State. A barrier zone extending north¬ 
ward and westward through the highly cultivated regions from Bridgeport to Dan¬ 
bury, Connecticut, thence through portions of the Harlem, Hudson, Champlain, and 
St. Lawrence Valleys to Lake Ontario, is recommended. Projects of this character 
should be under the direction of experts. 
Conditions at the present time are very different from those of twenty- 
