OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 21 



rich feast which our varied and extensive flora affords — all tend to 

 make it a sort of insect pandemonium. While in Europe the whole 

 people become alarmed if a fifth of a given crop is destroyed by in- 

 sects, the cultivator here often thinks himself fortunate if he loses 

 not more than half. And yet the sums so far paid out by our State 

 and National Governments appear paltry indeed in view of the loss 

 sustained. It is as if a gigantic army of foreign soldiers was actually 

 among us — burning, ravaging and destroying — and the authorities, 

 after taking the matter into their grave consideration, were to vote 

 ^1,000 a year to General Sherman, and smaller sums to two or three 

 other officers, and for the maintenance of the Military School at 

 West Point, and the forts, arsenals, dock-yards and navy-yards of the 

 country. For a long time. New York was the only State that era- 

 ployed a salaried entomologist, and during the last sixteen years the 

 able and celebrated incumbent has issued numerous Reports. The 

 salary he received sixteen years ago was $1,000 per annum, which, 

 though it went three times as far at that time as it does at present, 

 was yet scarcely sufficient to defray his annual expenses in books. 

 Notwithstanding the great change sixteen years have produced in 

 valuations, this salary has not been increased; and should we wonder, 

 as old age fastens its enervating hand upon him, to find him losing 

 interest and becoming indifferent? Yet notwithstanding the office in 

 New York State had lately become nearly obsolete and useless on 

 account of the insufficient salary, and was finally abolished last win- 

 ter, the efiect of Dr. Fitch's earlier work is still felt, and Senator A. 

 B. Dickinson, a few years ago, gave it as his deliberate opinion that 

 the New York Entomological Reports had saved annually to the State 

 over $50,000. Massachusetts once voted a sum of money to Harris 

 for a Report on the Injurious Insects of Massachusetts, (and, to his 

 honor be it said, Mr. Thomas Allen, the enterprising and intelligent 

 President of our Iron Mountain Railroad, had much to do in getting 

 the vote through), and Dr. Harris expressly states that he was obliged 

 to procure a great number of books at an expense far exceeding the 

 compensation allowed him. Yet this Report has become a standard 

 work to-day, has run through four editions, and is not only an honor 

 and credit to the State, but, besides the incalculable good which it 

 must have done, has doubtless brought in a revenue far exceeding the 

 original cost to the State. There is also at present, and has been for 

 some time, an entomologist, Mr. Townsend Glover, attached to the 

 Department of Agriculture at Washington ; but, as he himself has 

 often informed me, besides his regular duties, he is not only called 

 upon to receive, arrange and take care of specimens of birds, speci- 

 mens of fruits, specimens of grain, specimens of flax, specimens of 

 hemp, specimens of cotton, and specimens of silk, but must also act 

 as general curator to the Museum. This is a good deal like hiring a 

 single cradler to harvest 10,000 acres of wheat, and then expecting 



