288 ANNUAL REPORT 



readers, and considering the vast importance of this subject of ento- 

 mology, iij the interest of agriculture and horticulture, it seems to me 

 Mr. President, we can afford to take a little time to place some ad- 

 ditional matters upon the record. 



And first, in answer to the question of Prof. Oestlund of how to ex- 

 cite a deeper and wider interest in this State on the subject of ento- 

 mology, that it may be recognized as proper to be made a study in our 

 public schools. The first answer I would make is this, let the specialises 

 in this science carry on their studies, hand in hand with other inves- 

 tigations. As they proceed in the study of insects let them give the 

 public information as to those that are friends to the farmer and hor- 

 ticulturist as well as to his enemies, the means for the destruction of 

 injurious insects, giving warning of approaching foes when discovered. 



I have no doubt in my own mind that entomologists could have 

 greatly lessened the ravages of the chintz bug; but what chance was 

 there for them to do it? They could get no audience in the State if 

 they spoke upon the suuject; farmers did not realize its importance or 

 pay any attention to it. But why cannot entomology, ornithology 

 and forestry be considered together with reference to these subjects? 

 Let them do all they can to educate the people to the value and use- 

 fulness of birds, and warn farmers of the ruinous practice that pre- 

 vails of encouraging the shotgun all over these prairies, thus destroy- 

 ing the few friends of man that are placed here to keep these insect 

 enemies in check. 



A simple illustration will make the matter clear to any reader. In 

 my own neighborhood in Ramsey county, Dakota, there is a very nice 

 man, a friend of mine, who has a family of boys nearly all grown to 

 manhood, and from the father down everyone of them has a shotgun, 

 and their house is full of ducks; and every moment of leisure time 

 they get they are out over those prairies shooting everything that 

 wears feathers. [Laughter.] I don't believe a plover would dare to 

 venture within two miles of that house; and that farmer was the one 

 to complain most of the damage done by insects. 



It is admitted I believe there are some four hundred millions of dol- 

 lars worth of property destroyed annually in the United States by in- 

 sects. At the same time I do not believe there is a single destructive 

 insect whose ravages could not be prevented or at least greatly 

 lessened by a simple observance of the laws of nature in regard to 

 them. 



Insects are rapidly increasing in numbers. We must look to these 

 professors of entomology, to these scholars who are familiar with or- 



