February, ’23] 
felt: problems in economic entomology 
45 
The setting of the opinion of experts to one side is a grave phase of 
the situation. Our Entomology is economic only in proportion as it is 
carried out. It is comparatively easy to start a program of extermi¬ 
nation and this was done in Massachusetts in 1891. The weak point 
came with the development of the work to such an extent that little was 
to be seen of the insect and a popular verdict was given against continu¬ 
ance of operations. 
There has been, as intimated above, a vast increase in our knowledge 
of insects and methods of controlling them during the past twenty-five 
years. It may reasonably be claimed that American Entomologists 
are a group of experts best qualified to pass upon insect problems. The 
speaker is of the opinion that whenever a representative group of quali¬ 
fied Entomologists agree upon a policy, such policy should receive the 
support of executives, unless said executives are willing to accept the 
responsibility for inaction or modification. The great metropolitan 
water system of Massachusetts and the huge water supply projects of 
New York City were all planned and directed by engineers,—men pre¬ 
eminent in the branches of science relative to such matters and in mak¬ 
ing the above statements, the writer is simply emphasizing the need of 
similar action in relation to Entomologists if the country is to secure the 
full benefit of their services. 
President J. G. Sanders: Is there any discussion? 
Mr. W. C. O’Kane: I only wish that Dr. Felt had taken more time 
and had gone further. He has begun a discussion of an important prob¬ 
lem. We have had this subject before us incidentally at the last two or 
three meetings—this subject of what we might call “entomological 
engineering.” Personally, I am convinced that it is a wide and import¬ 
ant field and I am inclined to think that in spite of all of our needs for 
research, in spite of its importance and its fundamental value, there is 
an almost equal need for the kind of undertaking that he has mentioned. 
President J. G. Sanders: The next paper is “Choice of Food and 
Numerical Abundance Among Insects,” by C. T. Brues. 
