38 TUAN8ACTJONS OF THE Ihl.INOlS 



show US that 1 1 c who possesses infinite wisdom dcsit^ncd thcni as one of 

 the chief agencies for kee])ing in check the myrmidon hosts of plant de- 

 stroyers. The introduction of a civilized pojiulation with its uncivilized 

 weapons of destruction, which are turned against the forest songsters and 

 feathered tribes, has broken the balances and counter-checks which Na- 

 ture arranged ; and in proportion, as our allies are destroyed, our ene- 

 mies increase. Let us have laws, then, which will preserve these faithful 

 aids ; not laws which stand as dead letters on the statute book, but laws 

 which provide adequate means for their enforcement. If but one-fourth 

 of what would be gained therel)y were properly expended, it would pay 

 commissioners to see the laws enforced, and ere long fill your groves with 

 feathered songsters, which would act as insect scavengers for you. 



I am not so thoroughly carried away with this idea as to suppose that 

 birds will sweep from our midst the whole insect fauna, or that no more 

 Curculios, Army-worms, or Chinch-bugs, will be seen, or even that no 

 more orchards or fields will be severely injured by them. But I do be- 

 lieve that a sensible diminution of the injuries caused by insects will be 

 the result. 



I do not know that the English sparrow could be domesticated and 

 multiplied on our prairies ; in fact I have some strong doubts on this 

 point ; but other equally valuable species might be — at least our native 

 species can be protected and multiplied. 



x\nother general means of diminishing injurious species might be 

 obtained through our common schools. If our children, while young, 

 were taught to distinguish the leading species, and to know when, where 

 and how to find them, millions might be gathered and destroyed each 

 year by giving little rewards. Many i)oor houseless wanderers and ragged 

 orphans, or those made worse than orphans by worthless parents, might 

 not only thus be made useful instead of beggars, gain a living instead of 

 starving, but also learn habits of industry and be made useful members of 

 society. If this was required of all our teachers, it would retpiire but 

 little time in the school ; a little book of a few pages, and proper illus- 

 trations, would be sufficient to give all that is necessary for this purpose. 

 I find from experience that the little fellows take hold of the subject 

 readily and learn it rapidly ; and so far I have preferred using no book 

 but that which nature affords, and, where they can be obtained, speci- 

 mens instead of figure.s — except my own rough drawings on the black- 

 board. 



And lastly, it is scarcely going too far to hope the day will come 

 when the favorite idea of the lamented Walsh will be realized in the rear- 

 ing and transportation of jjarasitic insects as a regular business. 



Besides these general remedies which apply chiefly to the orchard only 

 — and the list is still incomplete — there are special remedies which are 

 applicable only to particular species, and which are important. But I 

 have from the very nature of the subject discussed, confined my remarks 

 to the former, in order to illustrate a plan of systematizing ojjerations, 

 and t(j induce your society, if possible, to take the initiatory step toward 

 brinuinu about concerted action in this warfare. 



