The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-10-02
Natural History at the State Fair.

TO the Editor OF the Indianapolis Journal:
The card of Amateur" which appeared in
Saturdays Journal was both timely and to
the point There was no department at the
State fair which was of more general inter-
est or showed more hard work than that of
the botanical and natural history. 1t was
my pleasure to be associated with Professor
0. Hay, of Butler in awarding the prizes,
which, excepting the herbariums, required
no nice discrimination. 1t was Just simply
what may be termed "walk-over," and this
was the fault of the person or persons who
made or assisted in making the prize-lsts. 1t
is but just, however, to say that Mr.. Noe de-
served all the prizes he took, for no one works
harder, is more enthusiastic or deserving of
greater credit than he. But do object, and
so do all, that professional taxidermist
should occupy more than one-half the space
to exhibit his collections, to the exclusion of
amateurs This does not or will not tend to
encourage the study of natural history,
which is the object of this department l
sincerely hope that next year the prize list
will be changed. The idea of awarding $35
| TO stuffed birds, and only S. to herbariums,
| and $40 to fossils, was not only a mistake,
| but worse, a blunder; for the display of the
|
showed careful work, study and research, and
yet paltry So was the first prize. l would
! suggest that more attention be paid to
| analytical botany. Let there be three prizes
| (not necessarily large) say SIS, $10and S.. and
next wear we will see far larger collections:
! let the plants be natives of the State. AS to
| insects, both lepidoptera and coleoptera,
| don't let us again see a few dilapidated
! South American specimens with torn wings
minus legs etc, mounted with native spe-
cies. Increase the prizes also in the geologi-
| cal department; at least make them equal
with stuffed birds Ten dollars first prize
was all offered on fossils, which was awarded
to Mr.. d. X. Green, of New Albany, Ind.
whose collection is the work of a lifetime.
| How insignificant the prize com pared with
the work of collecting and naming them.
| BY all means Danish the old curiosties and
collections of coins or put them in some
other department, for they only represent
what man is willing to pay" not study.
| What we want is for the State board to make
the natural history department what it has
never been before-a credit'to the city and
State, for there is nothing more elevating or
that tends to improve the mind so much as
the study of nature. This can be done by
encouragement; more equal distribution of
| prizes and by appointing men of
well-known scientific ability at the head
| BY all means let us have professional COM
petition, but with professional; amateur with
complaints. The collection (of the natural
history display par excellence was the her
bariums. There were eight or nine entries,
all by the pupils of our high-school, care
fully analysed under Prof Brayton, and,
believe, Miss Martin, with both scientific
and common Names and nicely mounted.
I have seen many large and fine herbariums
but for beginning, the high-school deserves
special mention. Mr.. James Sproule's and
Miss Duzan's cryptogamlc plants won for
them the prizes, but we are assured by Mr.
Noe that Secretary Heron has promised to
award all diplomas for the excellence of
their work. This is as it should be-so let
us encourage these collections and the study
of natural history-a study from which l
have derived much information and which
love dearly for 1 can imagine nothing more
beautiful than plants-even our most COM
mon species-to say nothing of the wild
luxuriance of tropical forest, in whose
damp shade no one can stand for moment
without feeling his own insignificance and
the grandeur of nature. ERNEST NORRIS.