Df 



1958 



Decker: Economic Entomology 



105 



>criitahle. The Coloracdn Potato-beetle, the 

 Currant Saw-fly, the Asparagus-beetle, and the 

 Bnu lilts granariiis \ to which we might add 

 the Pear-caterpillar (Callimorpha Lrcnntri) , 

 and the Lesser Apple-leaf folder ( Tortrix 

 maliz'orana,) treated of in the follow-ing re- 

 port, were all unknown here as noxious in- 

 sects until within the last few years. It is true 

 that some noxious insects, on the other hami, 

 have greatly diminished, and some, which have 

 been the sorest scourges of the orchardist, such 

 for example, as the notorious Bark-louse of the 

 apple tree, seem to be in the process of ex- 

 tinction. 



Walsh and the others acquired much 

 of their knowledge throug:h their own ob- 

 servations and experience, but obviously 

 they were familiar with most of the Avorld 

 literature on the subject. Furthermore, 

 it seems reasonably certain that then, as 

 now, much unpublished knowledge on the 

 subject was transmitted from individual 

 to individual through correspondence and 

 conversation, some of it even as tradition. 

 We know that pioneer naturalists ob- 

 tained considerable information from the 

 Indians. For example, the English ex- 

 plorer, Jonathan Carver (1778:493-4) 

 wrote of his travels among the American 

 Indians in 1766: 



I must not omit that the LOCUST [grasshop- 

 per] is a septennial insect, as they are only 

 seen, a small number of stragglers excepted, 

 every seven years, when they infest these parts 

 and the interior colonies in large swarms, and 

 do a great deal of mischief. 



One may be more than a little sur- 

 prised to discover that several local ama- 

 teur naturalists — doctors, lawyers, college 

 professors, orchardists, and agricultural- 

 ists, never referred to as or considered to 

 be entomologists — knew many of the 

 common insects by name and possessed a 

 knowledge of their biology and habits 

 adequate to permit these men to engage 

 in lengthy and intelligent discussions on 

 the subject at meetings of agricultural 

 and horticultural societies. For example, 

 Dr. E. G. Mygatt (1855), a physician, 

 wrote an essay, "Bark Louse of the Apple 

 Tree," for the first Transactions of the 

 Illinois State Agricultural Society, 1853- 

 54, and J. B. Turner (1859), a professor 

 of Latin and Greek, presented a paper, 

 "Microscopic Insects," at the first meet- 

 ing of the Illinois Natural History Soci- 

 ety in 1858. It is interesting to note that 

 at this time two men, Le Baron (1855) 



and Thomas (1859^), each one later ap- 

 pointed to the office of State Entomolo- 

 gist, were presenting papers on Illinois 

 birds and other topics in the Held of nat- 

 ural history. 



In the light of these pleasant surprises, 

 one is amazed to realize that the com- 

 bined knowledge of all the experts was 

 almost nil when it came to questions of 

 practical control measures that could be 

 employed to eliminate these pests or even 

 to reduce materially the annual losses 

 attributable to them. It is possible that 

 the paucity of practical information can 

 best be understood if we recall that for 

 many years it was believed well-nigh sac- 

 rilegious for a scientist to consider the 

 practical application of his accumulated 

 knowledge ; as the distinguished Professor 

 Louis Agassiz (1863:24) once said, "the 

 man of science who follows his studies 

 into their practical application is false to 

 his calling." 



Local and national repudiation of this 

 philosophy contributed to the industrial 

 and agrarian crusades that resulted in 

 creation of state entomologists' offices 

 and land grant colleges. Touching upon 

 the new philosophy of science and educa- 

 tion in addressing the founders of the 

 Illinois Natural History Societv at their 

 first meeting in 1858, Turner (1859: 

 647) said: 



In respect, also, to those grosser forms of 

 vegetable and animal life, it seems to me that 

 our research should in future aim more di- 

 rectly at practical utility than in the past. 



We are quite too content with mere descrip- 

 tion of forms and names, sometimes, without 

 pushing our inquiries into the causes, relations 

 and uses, and evils of things. . . . 



We need not simply to christen all these 

 things — not simplv to name the beasts, but also 

 to rule over them, as did our great father 

 Adam ; and, also, all other forms of matter. 

 And we cannot do this till we know minutely 

 their history, habits and relations to other 

 things and beings. 



The grand end to be aimed at, in reference 

 to most forms of fungi and parasites of all 

 sorts, is their prevention or destruction. But 

 a vast amount of minute antecedent knowledge 

 is needed before we can hope to say, "thus far 

 and no farther," even to one single race or 

 tribe, much more to the vast myriad of races 

 and tribes. 



Benjamin Walsh, the first State Ento- 

 mologist of Illinois, was in full accord 

 with the views of Turner. In addressing 



