PREFACE TO PART I. 



THE want of some practical and popular work bearing 

 upon the question of the Economic Entomology of the 

 colony has long been felt by those who occupy the honor- 

 able position of tillers of the soil. 



In the opinion of the Government the time for the 

 issue of such a work has now arrived. I believe that 

 this opinion will be shared by the whole of our rural 

 community. 



Several causes have recently combined to bring about 

 a greatly increased interest and activity in these practical 

 matters amongst our farmers, orchardists, vignerons, and 

 horticulturists. 



In the first place the Government of the colony has 

 formulated and adopted some very liberal measures on 

 the subject, the Hon. the Minister of Agriculture having 

 specially devoted himself to foster and promote new and 

 important departures in the rural industries. 



The valuable mass of evidence given by experts before 

 the Eoyal Commission on Vegetable Products has been 

 rendered available in a series of regular publications. 

 The Secretary for Agriculture has also issued periodical 

 Bulletins. Our veteran scientist, Baron von Mueller, 

 has published several useful and exhaustive works on 

 economic plants. Interest has been aroused by the 

 popular as well as scientific publications of the Field 

 Naturalists' Club of Victoria. This awakening having 



