1906.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT --No. 73. 141 



which they have been previously cleared. It is practically 

 impossible, for example, to keep the residential sections of 

 Medford or Saugus measurably clear of the gypsy moth while 

 the large woodland colonies flourish but a short distance away. 



The funds available under the act, both from municipalities 

 and from the State, are not sufficient to carry on any general 

 campaign against the moth in woodlands. Believing it his 

 duty to present to the Legislature all known facts bearing on 

 the problem of controlling the gypsy moth, the superintend- 

 ent has had a fairly careful examination made of the wood- 

 land colonies, and gives below a statement of their area, as 

 prepared by the assistant superintendent, Mr. D. M. Rogers, 

 who was in charge of this investigation. 



In many cases he could not obtain an exact statement of 

 the acreage involved, but so far as possible the figures were 

 obtained from the engineers or assessors of the several 

 cities and towns. Tracts designated as "dangerously 

 infested " are those that may be considered in immediate 

 need of attention to prevent stripping or serious injury by 

 the caterpillars next season. With these tracts there is also 

 the additional danger which will result from the insects 

 spreading into sections not yet badly infested, or, in some 

 cases, swarming on street trees a short distance away. 

 Tracts designated as "slightly infested" are those where 

 the moth has already secured a foothold, but not in sufficient 

 numbers to cause any notable defoliation. Unless the in- 

 sects are suppressed in these tracts, they will soon become 

 dangerously infested. 



At Watertown practically all the woodland, some 50 acres, is 

 dangerously infested. In Waltbam 50 acres are seriously infested 

 out of about 3,000 acres, while it is probable that other small 

 colonies may exist there. Belmout has about 450 acres of wood- 

 laud, all dangerously infested; while at Lexington 1,000 acres 

 may be considered seriously infested, with an equal amount in 

 addition slightly infested. The dangerously infested woodlands 

 at Arlington include about 500 acres and at Winchester 1,000 

 acres. In the latter town there are also about 400 acres some- 

 what infested. Of the 2,000 acres of woodland at Woburn, 

 approximately one-half in the southern part of the city is infested 



