22 
JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 
[Vol. 11 
amount of valuable information which the farmer does not have or 
which he imperfectly understands. The result is that losses con¬ 
tinue which might be prevented and in many instances the farmer does 
not know even that his crops are being injured. Even now under 
emergency conditions there is a strong tendency to overlook average 
losses and pay attention only to conspicuous outbreaks of pests. 
The importance of this work, especially in view of the world shortage 
of food, clothing and other necessities, and the prospect for a long 
continued shortage in these staples, can scarcely be over-emphasized. 
The work in the several states under the Smith-Lever Act has led to 
the appointment of a large and rapidly increasing number of county 
agents. This has greatly increased the demands for state work and 
has created an opportunity for definite constructive entomological 
work among the farmers. To carry on such work successfully there 
must first be the right kind of organization. It seems, therefore, 
that the logical and feasible first step is to establish extension divisions 
in the entomological departments connected with the land grant col¬ 
leges. Wherever possible there should be extension entomologists 
in each state giving full time to the development of this work, unless 
the state has an effective way already inaugurated. 
I do not wish to be understood as minimizing the control work 
that is being done in some states by organizations away from the land 
grant colleges, or under special appropriations by entomologists con¬ 
nected with such colleges but not articulated with the extension serv¬ 
ice. Where such work is being done it should be continued and en¬ 
couraged, especially during the present emergency, but at the same 
time we should realize that the Smith-Lever Act recognizes, officially, 
only the land grant colleges in the several states and I believe it is 
through this new extension organization that an effective nation¬ 
wide system may be built up. 
In chronological order the next important step in the development 
of extension work is that being inaugurated at the present time by 
the Bureau of Entomology under the Food Production Act which was 
approved by the President August 19, 1917. This has already been 
mentioned above. Under this act the Bureau of Entomology has 
organized an Office of Extension Work in Entomology. Project 
agreements between the Bureau and the Extension Services of the 
several states are being entered into. These agreements provide for 
the placing of specialists from the Bureau in the states who will be 
directed cooperatively. These men are under the immediate direction 
of the extension services of the states where they are employed but 
the general plans will be as agreed upon between the state and federal 
authorities. A project to increase production in a given state or re- 
