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THE GYPSY AND BROWN-TAIL MOTHS. 



The year 1908, from the entomological standpoint, has been 

 a notable one in Massachusetts, for two reasons : first, the gen- 

 eral severity of insect damage of all kinds; and second, the 

 rapidity with which such damage developed. While the canker 

 worm, tussock moth, elm-leaf beetle and a host of other insect 

 pests were unusually abundant, no better illustration of the 

 effect of abnormal climatic conditions on insect life can be 

 found than was shown by the gypsy moth and the brown-tail 

 moth during the past year. The winter was favorable to the 

 successful hibernation of these insects. The spring opened 

 early, and the warm, dry season, almost entirely free from rain, 

 gave caterpillars nearly ideal conditions for their rapid develop- 

 ment. At the same time, these conditions seemed decidedly 

 adverse to the increase of certain fungous and bacterial dis- 

 eases which have in recent years been of great assistance in 

 killing off the caterpillars. At any rate, we did not receive 

 the usual amount of help from these natural aids. These con- 

 ditions brought about an early development and rapid increase 

 of damage by the gypsy moth caterpillars in sections where it 

 had not been possible to cover the territory thoroughly in treat- 

 ing the egg clusters, more particularly in woodlands, where 

 nothing had been done but thinning preliminary to wholesale 

 spraying operatkms. It is needless to say that all the resources 

 of the department, as well as those of each badly infested city 

 or town, were severely taxed in order to prevent widespread 

 damage. We feel it to be greatly to the credit of the city and 

 town organizations that they were able in nearly all cases to 

 meet this emergency by well-planned spraying operations, and 



