1908.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT Xo. 73. 21 



Much help in lightening the labors of the central office has 

 been 'gained by the amendment permitting reimbursement to all 

 municipalities every sixty days. While it has directly bene- 

 fited towns by returning to them promptly for future use the 

 reimbursement due from the State, it has enabled our clerical 

 force to keep more nearly abreast of its work, and has lessened 

 the congestion in the accounting department which formerly 

 occurred at the close of each year. In the case of the towns 

 receiving 100 per cent, reimbursement after spending their 

 liability, the refunds due have been turned over repeatedly in 

 financing operations against the moths; while with those re- 

 ceiving but 80 per cent, or even 50 per cent, reimbursement, 

 the return of the amount due from the State every sixty days 

 has often been of great advantage at critical times, particularly 

 in the summer campaign; furthermore, it has eliminated an 

 annoying factor, that of the opposition of one local adminis- 

 tration towards providing a substantial refund for the succeed- 

 ing one. Such a consideration seems petty compared to the 

 importance of suppressing the moth pests for the benefit of all. 

 We are glad to say it has been noticed in only a small number 

 of cases, but we regret to say that where it has occurred it has 

 seriously delayed the necessary work and increased the cost of 

 subsequent operations. 



HISTORY OF THE YEAR'S WORK. 



We have continued, with a large measure of success, the gen- 

 eral policies adopted at the beginning of the work against the 

 gypsy and brown-tail moths: i.e., first clearing roadside trees 

 from the pests, in order to prevent the scattering which inevi- 

 tably takes place by the dropping of caterpillars on passing ve- 

 hicles ; and second, controlling the increasing of the insects in 

 thickly settled sections, where the great majority of our people 

 are domiciled, and where the annoyance and damage has been 

 most severely felt in the past. We have also paid special at- 

 tention to the care of trees and shrubs in public squares and 

 parks, and have made a beginning on the great problem of deal- 

 ing with the moths in woodlands. 



In caring for street trees about 9,000 miles of roads and 

 streets have been worked over, the trees cleared of nests and 



