supply it with substance to grow to perfection.. Then stop partially digging it up every few days, as much so as you would avoid partially digging up potato vines or your orchard. Ques. When shall we lay corn by? Mr. Falcon: As often as is necessary to keep down the weeds. Ques. What kind of corn shall we use? Mr. Falcon: I like the ninety day corn. By the almost unanimous wish of the audience, Prof. Sanborn talked on grass growing. [See opening article of this report.] Mr. D. J. Bissell of Anamosa, Iowa, followed with a talk on Shallow Culture for Corn. For synoposis of his remarks, see report of Lebanon meeting. EVENING SESSION. Notwithstanding that it was raining, a very large audience assembled completing this meeting as one of the most important held in the State. The morning session was largely attended, and a large body of very intelligent men assembled at the afternoon session. A lively interest was manifested and the closest attention was paid to the lectures. The speakers of the evening were encouraged by the local band, while recitations and singing spiced the proceedings. Levi Chubbuck, B. A. S. Agricultural Editor Colman's Rural World, read a paper on Farm Water Supply. This was followed with a very creditable recitation by Miss Nellie Adams entitled, The Palmetto and the Pine. Prof. Sanborn then addressed the audience and took occasion to express his gratification at seeing so many ladies present. The Board had made efforts to induce ladies to attend these meeting and features of special interest to them had been provided, but so far with little success. Without the co-operation of woman farming could not be successfully carried on, and they are as deeply interested in what constitutes good farming as are the men. Especially are they interested in HOUSEHOLD CONVENIENCES. 215 all that pertains to the farm home, which has been so much neglected in the matter of labor-saving implements and household conveniences. No pains should be spared to make the farm home comfortable, pleasant and refined. The remainder of the time consumed by the speaker was devoted to the consideration of stock feeding. This was followed with a recitation entitled, An Old Farmer's Dis course to his Son Tom, by Miss Ella Streater, which elicited hearty applause. Prof. Taft talked on Insects Injurious to Vegetation, prefacing his remarks by quoting the statement of a farmer and orchardist present, to the effect that the time was near when no one can successfully grow fruit without understanding the habits of the common insect pests. The speaker fully endorsed the sentiment quoted and proceeded to discuss the question proper. "After the conclusion of these remarks a vote of thanks to the State Board for the meeting was passed and the Board invited to return at an early day. Prof. Sanborn returned thanks for the vote and for the cordial reception tendered the visitors. He took occasion at this point to express his gratitude for the beautiful boquet sent from the Journal office, and complimented the editor, Mr. C. C. Hilton, for the interest he had manifested in this meeting."-Rural World. Great credit is due to Ava E. Page, Secretary State Grange, and the local newspapers for the earnest work done to secure a good meeting. The Board finds that the success of its meetings is largely dependent on the efforts of local managers and organizers. MEETING AT WINDSOR. An Institute meeting was held at Windsor, Henry county. Friday January 6, 1888. The shower of the preceding night continued and had developed into a pouring rain storm. Under the circumstances only one session was held, which was in the afternoon. To the surprise of the speakers on repairing to the hall they found about sixty intelligent farmers assembled. The Secretary, Prof. Taft, Dr. Paul Paquin, State Veterinarian, and Mr. Bissel gave their usual talks. Owing to the fact that the talks of three sessions were crowded into one, no time was given to questions or discussions. Yet the audience paid close attention and gave every evidence of a lively interest, and despite the fact that rain poured down rapidly a good meeting was held. MEETING AT SOLEVILLE. A Farmer's Institute meeting was held at Soleville, Cooper county, Saturday January 7, 1888. The rain storm that militated against the Windsor meeting on the day previous had changed to sleet and permitted the Board to hold only an afternoon session. The Speakers had driven twelve miles over rough roads through the storm to meet their engagement and were greeted by an audience of about fifty persons-a much larger crowd than could have been expected under such discouraging circumstances. The Secretary gave the opening talk, and, as usual, discussed the grass crop, the subject invariably chosen from a number summitted by the speaker, when left to a vote of those present. Dr. Paul Paquin, State Veterinary Inspector and Professor of Veterinary Science at the State Agricultural College, presented the subject of stock breeding. Mr. Levi Chubbuck, Agricultural Editor Colman's Rural World, followed with a general talk on the relation of education and organization to the material prosperity of the farming classes. In the course. of his remarks the speaker reviewed the farmers' reasons for neglecting their agricultural education, for neglect it was since they did not EDUCATION AND ORGANIZATION. 217 improve the opportunities offered by the State Agricultural College and various good agricultural papers. Prof. Sanborn then presented the subject of stock feeding. This was followed by Dr. Paquin, who by request, gave a talk on hog cholera. For a full presentation of the subject see report for 1886-87. Again the usual questions and discussions were crowded out on account of lack of time. Thus closes the sixteenth meeting of the year, and the last one that the funds of the Board permitted. Never before in the history of the Board has there been such a demand for these meetings. Those held in southern and south western Missouri have been very well attended by intelligent and enthusiastic farmers, and the future of this work in our State never presented a more promising and flattering outlook than now. INSECTS INJURIOUS TO VEGETATION, BY PROF. L. R. TAFT, B. S., Professor of Horticulture in the Missouri Agricultural College, containing the substance of a lecture delivered before the Farmers' Meetings held during the winter of 1887-8. I have seen somewhere a jingling rhyme which, after alluding to the fact that all animals have one or more parasites preying upon them, concludes with the couplet, And the fleas have other fleas to bite 'em, True as this is with the animal kingdom, it applies with even greater truth to plants. Root, stem, branch, bud, leaf, flower, fruit, each and all have their own and particular insect foes. To such an extent have they become troublesome, that the apple tree, in its various parts, has more than one hundred and fifty distinct species of insects to contend against. It is, perhaps, owing to their size that so little is known about insects, but it is probably true that not one person in a thousand can tell the difference between a bug and a beetle, or in fact, who supposes that there is any difference. Most people suppose that the small flies are the young of the large ones, and that the young flies hatch directly from the egg. On the contrary, the small flies are full grown, and instead of a perfect insect being developed directly from the egg, they pass through a transformation, as it is called, and between the egg and the perfect insect there are two intermediate forms. Let us first see what an insect is. We may define them to be animals whose bodies are made up of a series of rings or segments, and which have jointed legs and feelers. All true insects have six legs |