BEFORE presenting to you a description of the activities in applying insecticidesby aeroplane, I wish to acknowledge the assistance of the U S Department ofAgriculture, to whom I am indebted for the early history of this branch offlying, and to also acknowledge quotations from a report on the subject by ProfA D Imms, M A —

Early Experiments

I believe it correct to state that the possibility of applying insecticides bymeans of aeroplanes, was first brought to public attention by the work conductedin August, 1921, by the State Experimental Station of Ohio

This particular test, consisted of distributing lead arsenate from an aeroplaneover a grove of catalpa trees, in an effort to poison the larvæ of thecatalpa sphinx (ceratomia catalpæ Bdv) which were defoliating thegrove