MID-YEAR ANNOUNCEMENT. 



The Butterfly Farmer is six months old and I wish to report progress. 

 It was started as an experiment to ascertain if beginners in entomological work 

 cared to pay the actual cost of their instruction. The subscriptions received 

 have been sufficient to pay all expenses and all bills have been paid upon pres- 

 entation. It was announced at the outset that this publication would not under 

 any circumstances receive a larger income during the present year than would 

 cover the actual cost of the venture, and that the edition would be limited to 

 enable each subscriber to receive the personal attention his particular difficulties 

 demand. Printing, a stenographer, and necessary incidental expenses are charged 

 up to the subscription fund but there are no charges for rent, light, fuel or 

 salaries. Neither myself, my father, nor any other person has drawn or will 

 draw one dollar from the subscription fund for services rendered. The corre- 

 spondence course will continue during the year and our cash book is open to 

 inspection by any subscriber. The experiment will be conducted with entire 

 fairness and all moneys received will be devoted to the betterment of the magazine. 

 The greatest novelty of my brief entomological career has been the attempt 

 to assist beginners to learn butterfly farming. I am profoundly impressed with 

 the fact that it offers pin money to housewives, a reasonable income to its 

 devotees, and unbounded pleasure to lovers of nature and those who require 

 an outdoor avocation. Scientists have taken commendable interest in my under- 

 taking and many have sent me subscriptions who have no use in the world for my 

 girlish instructions. If a 20-year-old girl will give her time and best efforts to 

 the work of instructing amateur entomologists, those who remember the diffi- 

 culties they encountered in learning the business are anxious to lend a helping 

 hand. 



In daring to publish a magazine devoted to the beginner I have not 

 attempted to trench upon the province of the regular entomological magazines, 

 and they have one and all extended to the Farmer the utmost courtesy and 

 greatest possible assistance. 



No adequate book of instructions for begmners has yet been published nor 

 do I believe such a book would meet with sufficient sale to cover the cost of 

 publication. All attempts to teach beginners by publishing a book have been 

 financial failures. The fact is the beginner must be taught to begin. A young 

 man or woman may have energy, patience, an ardent enthusiasm, and all the 

 necessary qualifications of "a born entomologist," but unless his latent abilities 

 are aroused he will go through life without knowing a moth from a butterfly. 

 He would never think of buying a book on the subject and if he did he would 

 be hopelessly discouraged by its seemingly learned and technical language. My 

 experiment also consists in finding out whether a beginner can successfully teach 

 beginners. 



Correspondents have commenced writing me about my plans for next year 

 and the future of the Butterfly Farmer. I have no plans and shall make no 

 "promises. It will all depend upon the requirements of my College course. The 

 past six months' experiences have been pleasant and successful and I have 

 abundant cause for thankfulness to the friends and pupils of the Butterfly Farmer. 



ASSISTING THE EGG-LAYING. 



Prof. John H. Gerould of Dartmouth College. 

 In connection with Egg Laying, one or two suggestions occur to me 

 that may prove helpful to others. If one is desirous to produce as large numbers 



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