18 THE GEELONG NATURALIST. 
the prognostications of our pessimistic friends may not be realised. 
When we look around us and see the large areas of land which: 
have been taken up for farms, vine-yards and orchards, it will at 
once strike the thinking portion of us at least, that we have as yet 
only touched the fringe of our great natural resources; and to 
tremblingly talk of a permanent over-production in a first-class. 
article in either grain, wine or fruit, is but to expose our little. 
weakness, and shows that some of us at least are not thoroughly 
conversant with the facts of so important a subject. My mission. 
here is, [ understand, to help you to “fight” your insect pests; also 
to offer a few words of advice on matters of interest to those 
who have taken up gardening or farming, either for a living or as a. 
hobby. In doing this I thought it better to point out to you a few 
matters which may be of importance, especially to young persons. 
about to commence life as farmers, gardeners, and orchardists or 
vignerons, also to more advanced growers who may desire to know 
something more about the insect pests by which they are: 
surrounded than they do at present. 
In this lecturette I intentionally avoid touching on any 
matters which would trench upon the work of Mr. McAlpine our- 
Vegetable Pathologist, as that gentleman is well able to deal with 
his own branch of the Victorian Department of Agriculture, and' 
although both Mr. MeAlpine and myself avoid clashing as much as. 
possible, we observe no ridieulous hard and fast rules. We help. 
each other, and by adopting this plan we find that we are the better- 
able to do good work with benefit to ourselves and to the rural, 
publie also. 
In the early days of fruit growing in Victoria (I allude to the. 
early fifties,) when my late respecte’ friends, T. C. Cole, R. 
Watmaugh, and a few others led the way, we had little to contend 
against in the way of pests, although the American Blight, Codlin. 
Moth, Cherry Borer, and a few others were then amongst us. From 
personal knowledge, I am able to state that the growers in those: 
early days of fruit-growing in Victoria, by means of a little un-- 
animity amongst themselves were able to do a good deal towards 
fighting the insect pests of those times. As years rolled on, 
however, the so called sportsmen made their appearance, and it is 
to these gentry who then shot, and who still continue to shoot. 
down our valuable insectivorous birds that the fruit-growers of 
Victoria and elsewhere are partially indebted for the large increase- 
in insect pests, all and sundry. Again, owing to the extensive 
importation, without check or hindrance, of trees and plants from 
other countries, our stock of noxious insects has been largely aug-- 
mented, and now we find ourselve face to face with hordes of the- 
destructive insects of other countries, which by a little foresight 
and exercise of judgment, might have been kept out, altogether. 
We can fight opposition, but persistent indifference is a bad enemy: 
E 
