vi 
PREFACE. 
Note. —The subject of how to set on foot instruction in country schools 
relatively to prevention of insect injury to farm crops, of a sound plain kind 
such as should be practically and truly serviceable for field use has so often 
been brought before me that I give here, with permission, the following infor¬ 
mation of the manner in which this has in the last three years been begun, 
and is being serviceably carried on, at the Aldersey Grammar School at 
Bunbury, near Tarporley, in Cheshire. 
This old-established school is under the government of the Worshipful 
Company of Haberdashers of London, and, at the suggestion of J. Curtis, 
Esq., a member of the court, as to the importance of the boys of this agri¬ 
cultural district receiving instruction as to the means of preservation of the 
crops from insect-ravage, a pecuniary grant was liberally given by the Com¬ 
pany for necessary working materials, and, with the addition of a very few 
books on the subject, plain and sound, but of small cost, of the six Diagrams 
of Crop Insects of the Royal Agricultural Society (procurable at 5s. to 8s., 
paper or cloth), and a few other large coloured drawings, and also the gift of 
a microscope by W. H. Baigent, Esq., one of the past Masters of the Com¬ 
pany, all that was needed for a start was collected. 
Under the efficient direction of the Head Master, Mr. W. Bailey, the boys 
received a course of lessons on insect-life, illustrated by living specimens and 
diagrams, the instruction given being thus made perfectly intelligible, and 
further carried out by the scholars themselves collecting and bringing speci¬ 
mens, and, where necessary, given the use of the cheap and simple apparatus 
known as a breeding-cage, in which they could watch the changes from the 
maggot and larval state to the pupa. The pupils thus shortly became well 
acquainted with the common crop-pests, such as Click Beetles and Wire- 
worms, Turnip Fly, Leather Jackets or Daddy Longlegs, Cabbage and 
Turnip-root grubs, &c. In fact, the great step was made ; by the simple but 
sound method of teaching pursued the boys had learnt to know the crop- 
pests by sight, without doubt or mental worry, just as they knew the crops 
that the insects infest. 
Having thus gained a knowledge (by their own observation, under Mr. 
Bailey’s guidance) of the appearance and habits of the crop-pests, the next 
step was to learn to know how to turn the knowledge to practical service. 
This movement met the full approval of the neighbouring farmers, and on 
the appearance of attacks methods which have been advised in these Yearly 
Reports on the authority of many of our agriculturists were tried,—as, for 
instance, for Daddy Longlegs grubs, &c.,—and much good was done. 
The school, being situated in the middle of a large and purely agricultural 
district, in a few years the majority of the scholars will be either the farmers 
or the farm-labourers in the parish, and (instead of being, as in many cases, 
utterly in the dark as to what is injuring the crop) they will come prepared, 
not merely with names, but with a hnowledge which is a part of themselves , 
enabling them to tell what is going on by the state of the injured crop, and 
also aware not only of the means of prevention or of lessening the effect of 
ravage, but of the reasons for the various methods of treatment. 
The success has been so satisfactory that I take leave to draw attention 
to it here, as meeting a great want, and showing how by practical plain 
instruction (and without taking the place of necessary school studies), and 
without an instructor added for this special branch, and with the full appro¬ 
bation of the governors of the school and of the neighbouring farmers, 
and likewise with the approval of the examiners of the school and the 
agricultural visitors, the plan has been brought to work. 
I do not give details here, but, having had the pleasure of in some slight 
degree co-operating from the first with the Head Master and the members of 
the Company in their useful work, I should feel great satisfaction in giving 
any information as to the books used, or other details, to any who may 
apply to me.— Ed. 
