82 PROTECTION OF PLANTS, 1915-16 



In a word, the role of the members would be to give lectures, prepare, 

 or at least gather up and classify, material to be placed at the disposal of 

 those desiring to instruct the young. 



This is what I would advise in practice : 



To fix the boundary of the field to be covered as exactly as possible, 

 which work would be of great advantage in preparing the slides. It would 

 be necessary to have a complete and detailed programme. 



The members desiring to give lectures would choose their subject and 

 treat it as they saw fit: those who wished to prepare plans of lectures and 

 gather material would do well to make known their subject to the President, 

 giving him the chief details. In this manner it would be easy to prevent 

 the possible incongruity of several writing on the same subject. 



III. The Collections 



Before concluding, I should like to call your attention to this other 

 method of fighting insects and fungi. Our devoted president had already 

 suggested that the Society undertake the preparation of collections for the 

 schools in order to accustom the children to recognize the friends and the 

 enemies of plants. This means is too precious a one to neglect. It is a point 

 more delicate perhaps than the other two and that would accordingly re- 

 quire a special organization: the extension of the collections, the method of 

 classification, all this would require a thorough study. This means would be 

 an immense advantage to initiate the young in Entomology, a study at 

 once so attractive* and alas, so profoundly ignored, not to say despised. 

 Sight helps to recognize the insects; knowing a little the amateurs wish to 

 know more, and at the same time they desire to start a collection ; in collec- 

 ting they observe, they study. Then they impart their knowledge to others 

 and thus the number of the ignorant and the indifferent decreases gradually . 



As the question of money plays here an important part, perhaps, and 

 as this is not in my line, I will not insist farther. Before searching for means 

 of doing one must be certain of the possibility of doing. However, I will 

 presume on your kindness to make one more suggestion. In a large number 

 of schools and colleges, professors just beginning, or pupils, would like to 

 make collection of insects or of plants, but from the very start they are 

 often stopped by difficulties : lack of knowledge, of masters, of books. Could 

 we not furnish a kind of permanent committee which would be at their 

 disposal on certain days to identify the samples sent? If the professors or 

 pupils themselves make the collection, whatever be its value, they are 

 interested in it, admire and consult it. If they can have it already made, 



