62 AUTOBIOGRAPHY [CHAP. ix. 



surgeons. Following each heading, the observations were 

 placed which had been contributed during the season, and 

 which appeared to be of sufficient interest to be recorded, 

 regarding the special crop, or fruit, &c., referred to, these 

 being given with locality and date, as far as possible in 

 the contributor's words, and over his own name, unless 

 by request, or for some special reason. This plan of giving 

 the very fullest recognition possible of the source of the 

 information, I, for three very special reasons, most strongly 

 recommend to the consideration of all my readers not fully 

 accustomed to practical reporting : 



1. That thus the information may very often carry 

 conviction with it by the name of some well-known agricul- 

 turist or cattle-breeder being appended. 



2. That to do otherwise is a robbery of the credit of the 

 contributor, and a false appropriation of it by the reporter, 

 wholly unbecoming an honest worker. 



3. That the full recognition is a great protection to the 

 reporter or compiler of the reports from plagiarism of 

 his own work. There are people who think nothing of 

 appropriating the credit of true workers, and who absorb 

 also rewards in the shape of salaries and official position 

 based on their own questionable conduct. 



In the year 1881 it seemed desirable to change the 

 running heading at the top of the pages. The name of the 

 crop, fruit, or other subject to which the paper referred was 

 henceforward placed at the top of the left-hand page, and 

 the name of each successive attack to it at the top of the 

 right-hand page ; as, for instance, Cabbage at the left side, 

 and the different kinds of infestations recorded during the 

 year which might occur to Cabbage, as Cabbage butterfly 

 (large white), Cabbage-root fly, Cabbage moth, on the 

 right-hand heading. At the beginning of each paper, the 

 name of the crop, or fruit, was given in large capitals, and 

 beneath and at the heading of each successive paper, the 

 name of the injurious insect to be referred to, also in 

 English, with the scientific name, and authority for the 

 same following. The observations of contributors were 

 inserted unbroken, so that the methods of prevention and 

 remedy noted as successful by each observer were thus 

 recorded in connection with the accompanying peculiarities 

 of cultivation, soil, manure, weather, &c. The whole life- 

 history of the insect, so far as known or accessible, was given, 

 and sometimes, as in great attacks or in special circum- 

 stances, a " summary " of the preceding recorded informa- 



