SUMMER MEETING. 89 



AN ENTOMOLOGIST AND BOTANIST. 



Some years ago the Society selected as its entomologist, Miss Mary 

 E. Murtfeldt, and expected that in a year or two we would be able to 

 secure an appropriation for her, but thus far have failed. For the work 

 that she has done for the Society she has received no recompense, ex- 

 cept now and then a little donatiou. It would be well if we could pay 

 her something for her valuable assistance this year. Willingly she 

 gives information to anyone who ask of her, and her opinion is the 

 ultimatum when an insect is sent to her for identitication. If you find 

 any insect that you want to identify, send it to her and she will name 

 it. This will be of much value to you and you should avail yourself 

 of this opportunity. 



Mr. B. F. Bush, botanist, of Independence, is authority on the 

 botany of our plants and wishes to have members know that he is ever 

 ready to name plants, weeds, vines or trees for any member of this 

 Society if they will but send him samples to name. He has furnished 

 the Society a list of trees of Missouri that is of great value, and I 

 would suggest that he be elected an honorary member and chosen as 

 our botanist. 



THE FRUIT INTERESTS OF THE STATE. 



The fruit interests have grown and multiplied to such an extent 

 all over the State that it is hard to say where the fruit interests are 

 not important. Millions of trees have been planted on every kind and 

 quality of land from the Loess formation along the Missouri river to 

 the Ozark region, and down even to the gumbo of our praries and 

 river bottoms. Orchards of hundreds of acres and thousands of 

 trees ; orchard on mounthin top, on hillside, in the valley, on the 

 prairie, in the river valley; orchards of thousands of trees of one 

 single variety ; orchards with forty varieties ; orchards well-planted 

 and well cared for, and others planted and left to the care of the grubs, 

 the weeds and the borers ; orchards planted by well-posted men, by 

 novices, by the merchant, the lawyer, the doctor, by those who think 

 all they have to do is to plant and then reap ; by those who are ignorant 

 of the first principles of tree growth and tree fruiting, and orchards 

 planted by those who know how to care for them and have the pluck 

 and vim to make, and will make a success of them. 



This indiscriminate planting will surely result in very many dis- 

 appointents to the loss of much money and the wasting of both means 

 and energy. Many of these will have no good word for the fruit in- 

 terests of the State, but on the other hand abuse and sometimes curs- 

 ing. It is well, perhaps, that such should fail and seek other avoca- 



