Repository: UIHistories Project: Board of Trustees Minutes - 1890 [PAGE 242]

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STATE LABORATORY OF NATURAL HISTORY.

245

I have addressed, during the two years, fourteen farmers' institutes in various parts of the state and three horticultural societies, and have also lectured before the Chicago Institute and the Cincinnati Natural History Society. The accumulation of duplicate insects has reached a point where it is again possible to distribute them to advantage to such public schools as teach regularly the subjects they illustrate. I consequently sent, in 1889y a circular of inquiry to a number of these schools, from the replies to which a list of schools was made to which sets of insects will be sent during the winter. The specimens available for this distribution (22,000 in number) will be made up into forty sets and sent out as fast as ready, with lists of names, both technical and common, and a pamphlet of economic notes respecting the species related in any important way to agriculture or horticulture. The amount of work involved in this distribution may be judged in part by the fact t h a t the mere numbering and arrangement of this material in boxes, ready for shipment, after the labor of collection, preservation, determination, and systematic classification is all done, will take all the time of one assistant for about a month. Our work of the past two years has been greatly hampered by the insufficiency of our library fund, and by loss of valuable assistants with years of experience on our subjects and training in our methods, and 'more useful here than any one else could be for a long time to come. This loss was due simply to inadequate provision for their salaries. If this work is to continue on its present basis, it is indispensable t h a t our library appropriation be put back to what it was two years ago, and t h a t sufficient allowance be made for salaries to enable me to hold good assistants, in competition with experiment stations and other institutions offering employment to able and well-trained young men. [Financial statements may be found on pp. 92 and 177.]