STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETV. 151 



REPORT ON ENTOMOLOGY. 



Thk Presipent announced that reports from members of the 

 Standing Committee on Entomology were next in order, and Dr. \\'\\- 

 liani LeBaron, State entomologist, presented his report, as member of 

 said rommittee, as tollous • 



A good deal is being said, at the i)resent day, upon the subject of 

 progress and improvement in the education of the young, both as 

 resjjects its objects and its methods. A great reaction is evidently taking 

 place in these respects. There seems to be a pervading feeling that the 

 methods of education heretofore pursued have been too abstract, and too 

 far removed from the every-day business and necessities of life. The 

 plan now being agitated and pursued is to discard for the most part the 

 study of dead languages and abstract mathematics, and to fix the atten- 

 tion of the rising generation upon things present, tangible, and practical. 



Amongst other things which it has been proposed to introduce into 

 our systems of education, in jjlace of some of the discarded matters, is 

 the study of natural history; and indeed it is now one of the laws of 

 this State, that those who present themselves as teachers in our public 

 schools shall be able to pass a satisfactory examination in some of the 

 leading branches of this science. 



The introduction of such subjects into common schools being a new 

 experiment, and the science of natural history being so little understood 

 by people in general, it may be fairly jjresumed that the ideas of educa- 

 tors themselves upon this subject are, as yet, crude and unsettled. There 

 is yet a vague feeling that something of the kind ought to enter into 

 the education of the young, without knowing exactly what it is, or 

 how it can be best accomplished. 



It has seemed to me that some thoughts upon this subject which 

 my own course of study in these branches has suggested, wuuid not be 

 inappropriate at this time, and upon this occasion, lor I believe that no 

 person, has taken a more active interest in this matter of an improved sys- 

 tem of education, than some of the more intelligent farmers and hor- 

 ticulturists of this State. 



The ideas of most people, as to what constitutes the most desirable 

 kind of education, are extremely vague. Perhaps if we should put in- 

 to words, the aggregate sentiment of people in this busy and practical age, 

 we should define education to be the acquisition of such knowledge as 

 will enable them to make money; and the definition is a very plausible 

 one. For what is there we want that money will not buy ? Money 

 represents houses and land, equipage and servants, and all kinds of ma- 

 terial possessions. And yet the definition does not altogether satisfy us, 

 and for the simple reason that we find, when we come to analyze the 

 matter, that tliere are some things of the highest value which money 

 can not Iniy. A man may set his table with the most luxurious viands, 

 he may build for himself a marble palace, he may clothe hinisell in pur- 

 ple and fine linen; but if he have, a rude and uncultured mind, il he 



