The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-04-15
PERKINS
: REPLIES
Controversy Started
Over Economic
Entomology.

jet of economic entomology, by Mr.
Jared Smith, Special Agent in Charge
of the Federal Experiment Station, crit
icising my letter on Hawaiian entomol-
ogy written to the Territorial Board OF
Agriculture.
/ supposed that had written that
letter in such simple language that any
one could understand my meaning, but |
find that Mr.. Smith is apparently quite
unable to do so.
Before considering the details contain
!, ed in Mr. Smiths article, I may state
Ahat the letter in question assuredly ex-
- IS not only my own opinion, but
I'll also of the Superintendent of En-
1sAlafogyS and was only written by me
be$e the Superintendent was absent.
FN1g for many years worked at En-
tof<blogy in these islands in company
VIII Mr.. Koebele and also having ac-
mission IN search of beneficial insects
outside these islands-for instance in
California and again in Arizona and
Mexico can claim to be perfectly ia
niliar with his views.
AT the conclusion of his article talk
ing on scientific problems Mr.. Smith
urges that these be worked ONT in the
light of local conditions" This is pre-
cisely what we have done with our ento-
theological problems, and yet we are told
that authorities are against us because
these authorities, living in other coun-
tries and under conditions quite unlike
ours, have formed other conclusions
Most of these authorities have certainly
cfr4dsad ar7tcr1o1onv 4ror,ica1
country at all, none have ever visited
Hawaii, with its well-known popularity
OF conditions
Mr.. Smith again curtailing my remarks
to suit his article accuses me of charg-
ing with ignorance all those who use in
secticides. My statement is "The use of
the former (i. e. insecticides) though in
some cases necessary is equivalent to
confession of ignorance on the part of
the entomologist, or at least of inability
to apply his knowledge"
I regret that have to exhibit my own
ignorance in this way only too frequent
". For instance an insect pest may be
brought to me for inspection and advice |
IS asked. I have frequently to tell the |
person who brings it that | know of no |
slaturaf enemies that can keep it IN check. |
.ESlais- is what | call ignorance, and in |
ainieh cases l advise the use of insecti-
na1es. There is not in these islands to- |
day a single insect pest of which any |
sane man would say, mo natural enemy |
or enemies can be got which would sup |
press this" In few cases we are igno-
rant where these can be found.
In another instance may have to say,
There is a fine enemy for your pest,
but unfortunately, we have not yet been
able to import it into this country.
This I call inability to apply my knowl-
edge, and again IN such cases / say use
insecticides, if they be practicable.
That this is my meaning is clear to
any unbiased person, but Mr.. Smith
pays no heed to my whole context which
proceeds Still to some extent it is
necessary to use various kinds of liquids
IN the form of sprays, and we advise the
use Of such in special cases and we sup
ply the remedies. | further show the
real disadvantages of artificial sprays,
poisons, etc, in these islands. They are
costly, and have to be applied year after
year, or at shorter intervals. Secondly,
they are wholly inapplicable against the
of our most injurious species
K,oebele and myself Jointly have
studied the entomology of these islands
for a quarter of a century and came here
as specialists on the subject, yet Mr..
Smith considers himself capable of at
lacking our opinions, although he IS not
an entomologist himself and has resided
here but a few years.
| will now leave the local side of the
question, though that is the only one that
ncerrls us, and the only one with which
letter to the Board of Agriculture
-sIt
fr. Jared Smith cites against me the
a ons of those whom he considers to {
Il T. Y
omolcgists" of as many countries, Eng '
and Australia and America. Cd Mr.. I
Troggatt, Government Entonologist of
New South Wales. MIR. Froggatt has, as s
verybody knows, expressed himself as 7
opposed to our views. How valuable his d
,pirion is may be judged from the fact u
hat he quotes in support of this (a) a
he failure of Australian lady-birds TO v
estroy pests on the coffee and tea in a
ndia. when ''the agent seEt out to col t
act them had no knowledge of parasites
+ predaceous insects, for amongst his b
election of beneficial ones he also col
,cted and forwarded to India some very p
destructive forms of Coccinellidae u
lady-bugs) which feed upon the foliage C.
+ plants: Cb) the failure of certain p
PARASITES sent from these islands to D
australia. when these same insects el
Tere so mishandIed by the entomologist c;
hat it would have been miracle had h
hey succeeded journal Department of Y
.gricuIture, West Australia, 19oS)- But tC
may use Mr.. Jared Smiths own quo HI
alton from Froggatt- Take for in CO
lance Mr.. Froggatt's knowledge OF n,
be Chinchbug which he says is one OF | CT
ne instances which '-show how insect h'
ests in their native land remain and Ell
ecome increasingly formidable enc II
lies to the agricu1turist-" Let me OF
uote from the very complete Bulletin II
eighty-two pages on the Chinch-bug, pl
ritten by Mr.. F. NJ. Webster, then 81
of Ohio Agricultural Elk eli
4ri5nent Station, and published by the in
s&fed States Department of Agricui-
RE Mr.. Webster says I'm short the m
At Il I,c