1901 ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 117 



on insects or weeds have been given whenever lequested at Faimers' meetings. About 

 seven of these, besides some written addresses, have been given during the year at different 

 places. 



Secondly, the Society has distributed to every affiliated agricultural society (except to those 

 but recently affiliated) a collection of ripe weed seeds, in little labelled bottles, of nearly every 

 species of noxious weed within the Territories. This will enable any farmer, by applying 

 to the Secretary of his Agricultural Society, to see what sort of weeds he has in his seed 

 grain. 



Thirdly, the Dominion Entomologist, Dr. Fletcher, has offered two prizes (standard works 

 on Entomology) to the young folk of Lacombe district for (1) the largest collection of insects 

 and (2) the best collection of noxious and beneficial insects, and the Society has supplemented 

 these prizes by a cash prize of a dollar for the best collection of wild plants (including noxious 

 weeds). There have been several young competitors. Prize No. 1 was won by Master Benj. 

 H. Howell of Lacombe ; prize No. 2 by Master D. E. Tipping of Waghorn, and that for wild 

 plants and weeds, by Miss Lucy McL. Howell of Lacombe fall members of the Lacombe Field 

 Club). 



Fourthly, a Field Club has been formed of some of the young folk of Lacombe under the 

 Society's auspices, and by the example these young people set, many of the prejudices against 

 in.sects will, it is hoped, be dispelled. For instance, with what horror the dragon fly is often 

 regarded. We hear them called " Devil's darning needles," and that they will sew up little 

 boys' eyes and ears ; and we hear of caterpillars and beetles that they will bite us ; and many 

 other similar prejudices exist. These prejudices really are harmful, because they lead our 

 young folk into error, and on account of these prejudices many insects are cruelly destroyed 

 which should be preserved, and on account, too, of them our young folk conceive a distaste for 

 studying their habits. 



Fifthly, the Society has distributed to non-subscribers some hundreds of copies of those 

 two excellent agricultural papers. The Nor'west Farmer and The Farmers' Advocate. These 

 papers, or one of them, should be taken by every farmer in the country. In addition to this, 

 the Secretary of the Society has written (as replies) many scores of letters of advice on special 

 noxious insects to farmers individually, with the remedies. 



Within the last year several agricultural societies have affiliated with, /. e., have become 

 supporting and subscribing members of the Entomological Society. The names of these affili- 

 ated Societies are the Westaskivvin, Lacombe, Red Deer, Innisfail, Olds, Calgary (Inter-Western 

 Pacific), Regina, Moosejaw and Central Saskatchewan. These in return for their financial sup- 

 port and influence have the right to claim addresses from the Entomological Society at their In- 

 stitute or other meetings. The funds of the Society (.fl membership or affiliation) are sup- 

 plemented by an annual grant from the Territorial government, and are devoted solely 

 to extending the Society's work. This, then, is some outline of what the Society has already 

 done. 



Let us now turn to the next part of our programme : — "How shall we proceed in the 

 future ? " I think that the course I have just outlined should be further pursued. Every fea- 

 ture of it, and particularly that of encouraging the younger people, can I believe be extended 

 with benefit to the country. Written or verbal addresses will be given willingly, whenever 

 desired by affiliated agricultural societies. Further prizes will be offered for competition, 

 and these competitions will next year be thrown open to the young folk throughout the 

 Territories. 



With regard to the schools, I may say that the teachers (3) in the Lacombe School are 

 actively interested in the work of the Society, and the trustees of that school give every en- 

 couragement, and we hope to extend this interest to teachers in certain other schools next year; 



