74 
JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 
[Vol. 13 
interests us all. To determine the funds needed and the work which 
should now be undertaken, we must consider the known facts concern¬ 
ing the corn borer. We do not want argument or mere statement of 
opinions. As a body of technically trained men who are the advisers 
of the farmers of the country, and of the legislators of the different 
states, and of Congress, we can recommend only what we believe to 
be justified. We have reputations as entomologists and practical 
men which we want to maintain, and we should realize that our 
recommendations will be passed upon by men quite as competent as 
ourselves, to judge their urgency and reasonableness. They must be 
supported, not only by actual conditions establishing the urgency, but 
also by a real possibility of accomplishment of the work planned. 
Neither Dr. Howard, representing the Bureau of Entomology, nor the 
speaker, representing the Federal Horticultural Board, could afford 
to go to Congress and make exaggerated statements both as to damage 
and possibilities of extermination to dislodge huge appropriations of 
money. The members of these Congressional committees know a 
great deal about these problems and have often very definite ideas as 
to the needs. If you went before these men as often as I do, you 
would be surprised to find how much they know about these things 
and how fairly they appreciate the hue and cry that has been made 
about various pests that have come up in recent years and which have 
been represented as threatening the fabric of the country and they 
have noted that this fabric has not been rent asunder! We have lived 
through the period when the fruit crop of the country was going to be 
wiped out by the San Jose scale and have even lived to see this same 
scale rated by many as the greatest blessing that has ever come to 
the fruit grower. We were led to believe that the potato industry 
would be wiped out by the powdery scab, and large appropriations 
were obtained from Congress and spent in attempting to stamp out 
this disease. Later we discovered that our control work was abso¬ 
lutely futile and that we were simply wasting money and making 
ourselves foolish and, with a huge appropriation unspent, the work 
was stopped. That disease has scarcely been heard of since. It 
disappeared with the termination of its exploitation! 
It does not follow that this will be the case with the corn borer. 
We are fairly agreed that the corn borer is a new pest to this country 
and that it attacks corn and other crops. Any new pest that attacks 
important crops is of importance. In everything that I have said 
about this insect I have indicated that I realized its importance and 
that its power for harm had been demonstrated in Massachusetts. 
When this insect was new to us and we saw the damage it was doing, 
the statements which now may seem exaggerated were perhaps justi- 
