February, ’20] 
MARLATT: EUROPEAN CORN BORER 
89 
York. In other words, residents of the corn belt must look to the 
federal government for this protection. 
Mr. C. L. Marlatt: May I venture to say a word on the policy 
or plan of work of the department concerning which there seems to be a 
feeling that such plan is indefinite or unannounced. I have attempted 
to indicate such policy and have apparently failed and may have no 
better luck this time. The policy of the department has been fre¬ 
quently outlined. Dr. Howard gave in detail our plan of work in 
August at the meeting in Albany. It is printed in the report of that 
meeting. Similar statements have been presented repeatedly to 
Congressional committees in the Senate and House. These state¬ 
ments have also been printed. This policy or plan of work was 
included in general terms in Dr. Howard’s annual report for 1919 
and also in my report for the same year as chairman of the Federal 
Horticultural Board. Apparently these statements of policy have 
not been understood or have been ignored. 
The policy of the department takes into consideration the probabili¬ 
ties of the wide distribution of the insect, its hundred odd food plants 
and the possibilities of control of spread and of practical clean-up 
work. We realized the business viewpoint which Congress would 
take of the matter and the necessity of demonstrating the possibilities 
of accomplishment before such appropriations as were discussed at 
the Albany meeting could possibly have any status. At this meeting 
at Albany an appropriation of $10,000,000 or more was seriously 
considered but as a result largely of representations urged by me was 
finally brought down to $2,000,000. 
To repeat it again, the program and policy of the department is to 
make as promptly as possible a thoroughgoing investigation to deter¬ 
mine the actual necessities of the case and the possibilities of control. 
The first consideration under this plan is the determination of the 
distribution of the insect; second, to demonstrate on a large scale 
what may be done to control it; and, third, to cooperate with the 
several states in quarantine and other measures to prevent spread. 
A study of the insect to determine its importance and the biological 
factor is under way as you know and will be pushed to the utmost. 
We believe that this preliminary work can be fully carried out on the 
funds indicated, namely, $775,000. Until we have determined these 
fundamentals, we are not in position to appeal to Congress for vastly 
larger sums. This in general is our program and it has been repeatedly 
stated. 
I quite agree that in a program of this kind the sooner the needs 
can be determined and practical work can be instituted the better. 
In practically all similar problems, the securing of adequate informa- 
