STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 181 



larval state, but also the beautifully colored and exquisitely sculptured image, was tin- 

 seed of that same serpent t«> whom Eve, in the desperation of her newly-discovered 

 sin, pointed as the destroyer of her Integrity ; and the hatred which men exhibit 

 toward them can only be explained by the assumption that it is the promised "enmity 

 between her seed and thy (his) seed." To eradicate this illogical and unholy inference, 

 to assure men that insects in none of their various forms of life, can be fairly considered 

 as the Offspring of 8atan, to awaken a love for these simple creatures of God, created 

 always for a wise, and generally for a directly beneficial purpose, this is the good work 

 before us. How is this to be effected? We cannot hope to correct in the present gen- 

 eration of adults the false ideas in this matter, which for hundreds of years have 

 grown with each generation's growth, and strengthened with its strength. Our only 

 hope is through the youth of the land, in whom prejudices are but a band of straw, 

 and through whose intelligence not only their own, but their parents' affection for all 

 living beings may be awakened. And these are to be reached through systematic and 

 persistent effort in the common school. It is my desire that a small hand-book for use 

 in the schools of the State may be prepared, not so much for the purpose of giving the 

 scientific classification of insects, as for awakening in the mind of all children a desire 

 to study the subject of entomology, which would certainly follow a slight acquaint- 

 ance with their metamorphoses, and some of their leading habits and characteristics. 

 I would ask the Legislature to have prepared, at the expense of the school fund, a 

 finely colored chart of the principal useful insects of the State, and one of these I 

 would have hung in every school room in the State. Entomologists have always 

 advised the careful protection of our insect friends, and in some cases, the importation 

 or colonization of the friendly insects of other countries or localities. But how can 

 this be effected when the knowledge of the people is so limited. Poor dog Tray is a 

 frightful example of the influence of bad company, and it is enough that a bug is 

 found in a peach orchard suspected of having curculios in it, to entitle him to the same 

 ignominious death which the curculio is so well known to deserve. It is nothing 

 uncommon when the curculio-catcher makes its morning round to see all its contents, 

 of whatever class or description, meet the same bloody end : 



" Friend and foe in one red burial blent." 



And certainly It is not strange that all the useful larvae should meet destruction. If 

 neither the intelligence of the mantis, the beauty of the green Colosoma, or the grace 

 and agility of the Tiger beetle, can save them from the crushing heel of the seed of 

 woman, how can it be expected that they will escape when, stripped of outward 

 adornment, they present themselves as vile worms. Let the chart therefore show the 

 connection between the image and its larva, placing them side by Bide, till the eye of 

 the child, accustomed to this plain method of demonstration, may never rest upon the 

 real larva without at once associating it with the perfect insect. 



I would not underrate the work already accomplished. The Influence of our State 

 Entomologist, with that of his co-worker of the State of Missouri, is already felt, and 

 in the southern district I am sure the Information in relation to Insects is a hundred 

 fold greater than when those officers received their appointments. 



So much for the cause of Entomology. A few words of experience for the last year. 



