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Caption: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1870
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167 Winooski, Vermont; J. S. Wright, Champaign ; John M. Yates, Southampton; Abraham Yeagel, Homer; James Yeagel, Homer. Judge A. M. Brown, of Villa Eidge, was elected Chairman of the Convention. INSECTS. Dr. HENRY SHIMER, of Mt. Carroll, read an essay on the study of Entomology, after which the subject was discussed. Dr. GREGORY, Kegent of the University, said the practical importance of Entomology consists in the necessity of fighting injurious insects. Insects are probably on the increase and are certainly doing an immense amount of mischief, particularly in the south part of the State. In his boyhood, he had known the agriculture of New York changed by the devastation of the midge or weevil. Now, the weevil having died out, wheat can be again grown where it was previous to the prevalence of the midge. He thought the American Entomologist should be in every farmer's home; that general inteligence on this important subject might become more diffused. D R . SHIMER called attention to the fact that, in his part of the State, the chinch bug had been swept away by a disease. H e indorsed the importance of sustaining the American Entomologist. D R . MILES considered the subject important. I t is difficult to secure the advantages of science in practical affairs ; hence, agricultural colleges. But, meanwhile, we want facts, and the immediately best thing is the wide circulation of such a paper as the American Entomologist. It corrects nomenclature. The midge is frequently called the weevil, and dealers in grain have hence been deterred from buying grain from the midge districts. Dr. WARDER said, I am not a scientific, but a practical Entomologist. Still, I do not call caterpillars, worms, nor beetles, bugs. Eead the Practical Entomologist. In one or two respects, insects are valuable aids to mankind. Dr. Kirtland, of Cleveland, introduced the Ligurian Bees, and found that they brought the pollen of the Sheperdia, from the farm of Ex-Governor Wood, four miles distant, and fertilized his own heretofore barren trees of the same species. Many plants are so constituted that they do dot fertilize themselves even with perfect flowers. Ins'ects carry pollen from one
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