1906.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT No. 73. 29 



3. The gypsy moth is often hard to find, even when abun- 

 dant, and its treatment calls for a high degree of skill as well 

 as a liberal outlay of money. 



The brown-tail moth is easily found in winter when its 

 webs are prominent at the tips of twigs. Its destruction is 

 relatively inexpensive and calls for no particular skill. 



4. But few gypsy moths are likely to reach Massachusetts 

 from the small colonies outside the State. 



A strong northerly wind during the flying season would 

 blow into Massachusetts multitudes of brown-tail moths from 

 the now badly infested New Hampshire border and from 

 southwestern Maine. 



The facts being as above stated, it seemed to the superin- 

 tendent unwise to authorize large expenditures of money in 

 combating the brown-tail moth in woodlands, while in the 

 case of the slow-spreading and more dangerous gypsy moth 

 it was obvious that every possible effort should be made to 

 stamp it out wherever it occurred. It was therefore decided 

 to urge upon the local superintendents of work the necessity 

 of destroying the brown-tail moth on street trees, and of 

 insisting that every property owner destroy the pest on his 

 house lot and in his orchard, should he have one. In this 

 way the street trees are protected from injury by the cater- 

 pillars, and the danger from caterpillar poisoning, at least 

 from this source, is done away with for next season. This, 

 it seemed, was all that could be done against the brown-tail 

 moth. 



With the gypsy moth it was decided to follow practically 

 the same lines with regard to shade trees and private estates, 

 and, in addition, to make a special effort to protect all road- 

 side trees, whether in the centres of population or in the 

 outlying country. The matter of prime importance in con- 

 nection with the gypsy moth is to prevent its farther spread 

 as the result ot the dropping of caterpillars on vehicles. So 

 long as the street trees in our badly infested cities and towns 

 remain infested by the insect, just so long will the cater- 

 pillars spin down in May and June and be carried long- 

 distances by the agencies of traffic over the road. It is 

 imperative, therefore, that street trees and roadsides most 



