576 



NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



many, knowing little or nothing of its nature, were content with a glance 

 or two. At the Oswego county fair the interest was if anything more 

 ma ked. There wa-> in constant attendance at each fair a member of the 

 official force for the purpose of answering questions and explaining the 

 more im ort;mt features of the collection. Thus information was dis- 

 semi ated through the examination of insects and 1 1 eir work and by 

 t )trso al exp an iti >ns, and all was supplemented by the distribution of a 

 s nail catal >gue giving in brief form the more striking characteristics of 

 the insect tnd in a word outlini g the method of keeping it in check. 



The following extracts will give an idea of the interest taken in this 

 new departure : 



This exhibit, which is made under the auspices of the University of 

 the S ate of New York, is attracting much attention, both from the mere 

 sight seeker u d from the p actical farmer Mr G. W. J. Angell, who is 

 in charge of the greater New York exhibit in Machinen hall . said: 



" I t ust thai this exhibit of insects is but an entering wedge, and will 

 be gre.'tly enlarged at future state fairs The heavy annual loss to the 

 farmers ai d lumberman of our si ate from the depredations of insect 

 enemies runs high into the mil ions. The ability to differentiate between 

 those creatures which are njurious and those directly or indirectly beneficial, 

 and how best to prevent the ravages of the former, is as necessary to the 

 successful farmer as the knowledge of the comparative values and the 

 use of modern auric uhural machinery. An insect, which today from its 

 rarity is comparatively harmless to crops, may next y< ar, from a sudden 

 increase in its numbers, become a most destructive pest, and only by a 

 knowledge of its life history and of the critic. d stage in its development, 

 when the proper insecticides are most potent, can the threatened danger 

 be i verted 



The handy little pocket catalogue of the present exhibit . . . gives 

 discrpti <ns of some 75 of the commoner injurious insec ts with the prop- 

 er remedies to be used against their attacks, and is one of the most 

 \aluable features of the exhibit. Some of the insec ts which are directly 

 beneficial are also noted, such as the various silk worms, both native and 

 exotic, and the bees which carry pollen from flower to flower, without 

 whose labors many of our most valuable plants would become extinct." — 

 Evening herald, Syracuse, 7 Sep. 



A new and valuable exhibit in Floral hall was a collection of 82 nox- 

 ious and benefit ial insects . . probably the first attempt to bring the 

 latest results of entomological science before the people at a state fair. 

 The specimens were admirably arranged in cases, showing their succes- 

 sive change s and samples of their work on bark, wood and leaves They 

 were constantly surrounded by observers, m my drawn perhaps by the 

 star of the season, 4 the kissing bug, Opsicoetus personatus, 

 but many fruit and shade tree growe rs were specially delighted with this 

 opportunity to -tudy the life history of pests whose ravages have been so 

 sorely felt. The value of economic entomology can not better be made 

 krn^n than by thus bringing such exhibits before the people We trust 

 that it may become a regular feature of future fairs. The exhibit has 



