158 GYPSY AND BROWN-TAIL MOTHS. [Jan. 



OUTLOOK FOR CONTROL. 



It is never well to underestimate the strength of an an- 

 tagonist. In fighting the gypsy moth we must take into 

 consideration its insidious habits, its great powers of multi- 

 plication, the ease with which it is now accidentally spread, 

 and the cost and difficulties involved in destroying it even 

 on small estates. These difficulties are multiplied many fold 

 by the conditions existing in thousands of acres of severely 

 infested woodland. The citizens of the State are paying the 

 bills for fighting the moth ; it is their money in one way or 

 another which is being used to prosecute this work ; and, in 

 justice to the taxpayer, the adverse as well as the favorable 

 conditions should be fully presented. 



It is evident that the present act will not, even with closest 

 economy, yield more than sufficient revenue to suppress the 

 gypsy and brown-tail moths on public trees and in resi- 

 dential sections. The petitioners for legislation against the 

 moths, having a knowledge of the fact that the gypsy moth 

 occurred in 43 cities and towns, while the brown-tail had 

 extended its domain over nearly one-half the State, asked 

 the Legislature to appropriate $600,000 for three years' work, 

 above the sums to be raised by local taxation. But at the 

 present time there are 124 municipalities which are known 

 to be infested by the gypsy moth, while the brown-tail moth 

 is rapidly spreading, and we have only $300,000 of State 

 appropriation with which to accomplish the desired results. 

 It is obvious that with one-half the required funds but one- 

 half the work can be done. We believe that under present 

 conditions we can prevent a farther spreading of the gypsy 

 moth into non-infested territory, and can largely control 

 damage from either pest on street trees and in residential 

 districts. Owing to the late date at which the work began 

 in 1905, the success of our efforts in this direction will not 

 be determined until after the caterpillar season of next year 

 and the fall inspection. 



As a matter of fact, we shall be unable to clear even the 

 residential sections of the moths, unless we can have in lib- 

 eral measure the hearty co-operation of all citizens. So far 



