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Florida Buggist 
Official Organ of the Florida Entomological Society 
VOL. II FALL NUMBER NO. 2 
September, 1918 
(Printed in November) 
ENTOMOLOGY AS A PURE SCIENCE* 
By E. W. BERGER 
My chief concern about this society and its publication (THE 
FLORIDA BUGGIST) is that it should always reflect Entomology as 
a true science, as distinguished from Applied Entomology or 
Economic Entomology. From the nature of our organization, we 
shall not need to worry about the applied side not being duly 
represented, for we are practically all economic entomologists, 
or near-entomologists, or otherwise interested in insects that 
injure crops. But, if for no other reason than for the sake of 
those in our organization whose training in entomology has 
been limited, I believe that we should make every effort to 
present some papers and articles having a bearing upon the 
science of entomology in its broader aspects. For instance, 
Prof. Watson’s paper on The Thysanoptera of Florida (THE 
FLORIDA BUGGIST, Vol. I, No. 4 and Vol. II, No. 1) is such a 
paper, it being a distinct and permanent contribution to the 
science. 
There was a time, perhaps not a hundred years ago, when 
science was studied for the sake of knowing, for the information 
that it yielded about the natural things surrounding us, and the 
pleasure it afforded to the few. More recently, however, it 
has become the business of mankind to apply scientific knowledge 
of all kinds in every-day affairs so that men and institutions have 
arisen whose primary object it is to make science practical. This 
condition of affairs has caught the attention of the public and the 
business man, so that pure science has stood in danger of being 
neglected. But it is apparent to the thoughtful that in order to 
*Paper read before the Florida Entomological Society, Dec. 17, 1917. 
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