1923 ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 29 



on grafting that met at first with failure, but that brought back his attention 

 to botany through the channels of horticulture. When transferred, in 1855, 

 to St. Joachim at the foot of Cape Tourmente, Provancher was chiefly interested 

 in botany, and we see from his writings in various papers that he strongly 

 advocated the teaching of natural sciences in all schools. To give a proof of 

 his convictions along these lines, and to help to realize this plan, three years later 

 he published a "Traite elementaire de Botanique," which was soon adopted 

 by numerous educational institutions. 



With this first production Provancher took rank among educators. In 

 1859 his "Tableau chronologique et synoptique de l'histoire du Canada" was 

 published with the same object in view. While at St. Joachim, Provancher 

 with his devouring activity, commenced experiments on the varietal resistance 

 of fruit trees that can be grown successfully around Quebec. In the newspapers 

 of those days he wrote many articles to convince the farmers of the necessity 

 and advantage of growing fruit trees. His untiring efforts resulted in the planting 

 of a very large area with apple and plum trees, most of which lasted over half 

 a century, the last survivors being killed a few years ago by a severe winter. 



Transferred to Portneuf in 1860, Provancher continued his horticultural 

 experiments with great success, even establishing a fruit tree nursery for the 

 advantage of the farmers of this county. Two years later, he was ready to make 

 known the results of his experience as a fruit grower. His new work published 

 in 1882 and entitled: "Le Verger Canadien" has been until lately the classic 

 guide of fruit culture in the province of Quebec. This little book reached its 

 fifth edition in 1885. For the economic entomologist it contains a very interest- 

 ing section, namely the chapter dealing with the insect pests of the orchards, 

 and describing the means of controlling them. This was, in all probability 

 one of the first expressions of applied entomology ever presented in book form 

 in Canada. But it is not the first in date. Provancher is known almost exclus- 

 ively as a systematist. Nevertheless, the first paper he published in his life 

 was a discussion on "Insectes et maladies nuisibles au ble," an essay prepared 

 for a competition on this subject organized by the Department of Agriculture 

 for which Provancher received a third prize (under the nom de plume of Emilien 

 Dupont). 



The first important work of our great naturalist was published in the year 

 1862. It was the voluminous "Flore Canadienne," the first and only complete 

 work dealing with Canadian plants. Heretofore, no other worker has dared 

 undertake the gigantic task of revising and completing this now old treatise. 



Every Canadian and American entomologist knows Provancher as a pioneer 

 entomologist, and it is as such that he merits fame. His systematic classification 

 of insects modestly entitled "Petite Faune Entolomogique du Canada" fills 

 four compact volumes making a total of 2506 pages as follows: 



Vol. I. — Coleopteres and additions. 



Vol. II. — Orthopteres, Nevropteres, Hymenopteres. 



Vol. III. — Hemipteres. 



Vol. IV. — Additions and corrections to Hymenopteres. 



There may be found the description of all the Canadian species contained in 

 his collections, many hundreds of which were unknown to science. In the order 

 of Hymenoptera alone, Provancher described 923 new species. Rohwer and 

 Gahan, of the Washington Bureau of Entomology have pronounced the accuracy 

 of his descriptions, and pointed out some mistakes in referring species to the 

 wrong genera. 



