PLAIN WORDING DESIRABLE. 201 



figures. Also, when it is needed in field work to make 

 out what insect it is which is injuring a crop, I woald 

 strongly advise the enquirer not to harass himself by 

 doing what is called *' looking out the insect,'' but 

 take the state of the crop as the starting-point. Have 

 a book with descriptions of the common crop attacks, 

 and a good number of figures, both of the injury, and 

 of the insect that causes it. Then look out the crop 

 in the index, turn to it in the book, and turn over the 

 IDages relating to attacks to that croj) until you come 

 to a picture or description that suits the attack ; and 

 so you will soon know clearly (if it is one of the com- 

 monly injurious kinds) all that is needed to be known 

 ■or is known about it, instead of, after long delay and 

 trouble, still being quite uncertain whether yoii are 

 right or wrong. There are not very many attacks 

 that are commonly injurious to a serious extent to 

 food crops, fruit, and timber, in this country ; probably 

 if we say two hundred tliat would be quite an outside 

 reckoning ; and many of these may be known just as 

 well, or better, by the state of the attacked vegetable 

 as by the appearance of the insect. 



There is one more point of farm insect study which it 

 is also desirable to draw attention to. Our object here 

 is to save the crops, and to learn and teach whatever 

 we can on this subject in the very plainest way. 

 Plants, insects, manures, farm implements, — all have 

 to be thought of and spoken of; and in every case it 

 is hiiiJdij desirable to use the words that will be most 

 •certain to he understood by those we are speaking to. In 

 regard to the insects I would strongly advise speaking 

 of them by their commonly used English names ; but 

 still, with regard to the scientific names, it is very 

 desirable to observe, and show our pupils, that these 

 have a very precise meaning. Just as, in the case of 

 the orders, there is a distinct serviceable meaning for 

 each name ; so is there in many cases for the names 

 of the lesser divisions; and it is desirable for tliose 

 who teach to make themselves acquainted with the 



