1906.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT No. 73. 13 



vince every tree lover of the necessity of concerted action 

 against the moths. While in many places in the afflicted 

 district the trees under the charge of municipal authorities 

 were cared for with considerable success, private estates and 

 woodlands in June and July presented shocking scenes of 

 devastation. In many places the work of fire could not have 

 been more thorough or alarming. From Belmont to Saugus 

 and Lynn a continuous chain of woodland colonies presented 

 a sight at once disgusting and pitiful. The hungry cater- 

 pillars of both species of moths swarmed everywhere ; they 

 dropped on persons, carriages, cars and automobiles, and 

 were thus widely scattered. They invaded houses, swarmed 

 into living and sleeping rooms and even made homes un- 

 inhabitable. Thousands of cases of poisoning of human 

 beings resulted from the swarming of the brown-tail cater- 



* ' 



pillars. Real estate in the worst infested districts underwent 

 a notable depreciation in value. Worst of all, pines and 

 other conifers altogether too scarce in eastern Massachu- 

 setts were killed outright by the gypsy moth caterpillars, 

 while shade trees and orchards were swept bare of foliage. 

 Property owners who were disposed to care for their own 

 estates suffered and became discouraged from the neglect of 

 their neighbors. It was evident that the moth pests were 

 in the ascendency, and that they could be controlled only 

 by prompt, thorough and systematic effort. 



The experiences of the caterpillar season of 1904 resulted 

 in the formation of various local associations, with the object 

 of securing co-operative work against the moths among 

 citizens of the several municipalities. Notable stimulus to 

 public opinion followed the visit to the infested district, in 

 the summer of 1904, of Prof. C. L. Marlatt, first assistant 

 of the Bureau of Entomology, United States Department 

 of Agriculture. After spending three weeks in an exami- 

 nation of the district, Professor Marlatt was outspoken in 

 urging the necessity of renewing work against the moths on 



to / o i- 



some comprehensive plan, which would secure the co-opera- 

 tion of the individual property owner, the municipality and 

 the State. As a result of the various forces working toward 

 a common end, late in 1904 the several local village im- 



