JOUENAL 



OF THE 



Royal Horticultural Society. 



Vol. XXII. 1898. 

 Part II. 



INSECT " BLIGHTS AND BLESSINGS." 



By Mr. Fred Enock, F.L.S., F.E.S. 



[Read April 12, 1898.] 



Time is so very precious to all of us nowadays that we have 

 great difficulty in paying much attention to things which we 

 think do not concern our own interests. This is specially 

 noticeable in floriculture, in which the demands of fashion 

 compel horticulturists to produce flowers in, as well as out of 

 season (mostly the latter), and the florist who can show the 

 largest collection generally carries off the palm. This remark 

 applies equally well to entomologists who amass large col- 

 lections of specimens. A great deal more might be done if 

 both would pay more attention to the habits and economy of 

 insects, whose life-histories (if we omit Lepidoptera) are, 

 comparatively speaking, unknown. I refer to such insects as 

 come under the eyes of the horticulturist, and which generally 

 fall between his finger and thumb or under his heel. 



For years I have been studying, drawing, writing, and 

 speaking of the life-histories of insects and the indisputable fact 

 that is constantly brought home to me is our lamentable 



B 



