10 GYPSY AND BROWN-TAIL MOTHS. [Jan. 



to destroy the caterpillars in their early stages of growth. 

 Their principal devastation was therefore confined to wood- 

 lands of low valuation, and the highway trees throughout the 

 district and those on residential and farming property were 

 protected. It is not probable that such another year will occur 

 for some time; but the experience of the past summer showed 

 plainly the importance of equipping each city and town with 

 spraying outfits, adequate in number and power to deal thor- 

 oughly with such an emergency should it again arise. 



During the year 1908 the fight against the gypsy and brown- 

 tail moths has been carried on practically along the same lines as 

 in the three preceding years, and with equally gratifying re- 

 sults. In the early part of the year it seemed important that 

 the scouting operations which were begun in the fall of 1907 

 should be continued, so that we might determine more exactly 

 the extent of the gypsy moth infestation in Massachusetts. 

 This work was continued until April, about 100 trained men 

 being thus employed. In several of the towns along the border 

 of the previously known infested district a number of small 

 colonies were located. During the summer months these col- 

 onies were given careful attention, since their complete exter- 

 mination seemed entirely practicable. That this policy was a 

 wise one has been proved by the results of the summer and 

 fall work. In many of these small colonies no caterpillars 

 were found, while in several others no egg clusters were found 

 at the time of the fall inspection. 



The residential sections in the badly infested central towns 

 are in very good condition at this writing, and in nearly all 

 of the cities and towns most excellent work has been done. We 

 now have a large, well-trained force of men throughout the en- 

 tire district, sufficient to enable us to conduct the work much 

 more economically than has ever been possible before. As 

 long as it was necessary to train and educate men in the details 

 of the moth work in any given town, that work was necessarily 

 very expensive. There are to-day in each city and town a 

 considerable number of men who have had the benefit of this 

 training and experience, and whose services can usually be 

 obtained when needed. 



The recommendations made in the last annual report were 



