1907.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT- -No. 73. 21 



The second line of effort was to relieve, as far as possible, the 

 badly infested residential sections of the moth-infested district. 

 It seemed best to the superintendent to endeavor to give the 

 greatest possible measure of relief to the largest number of citi- 

 zens within the shortest period of time, and to this end an effort 

 was made to enforce vigorously the requirements of the law 

 in the thickly settled districts. Having cleared street and other 

 public trees of the moth pests early in the year, the towns in 

 these sections took up the work of cleaning private estates of 

 eggs of the gypsy moth and nests of the brown-tail moth. This 

 work was practically completed by May 1, with the exception of 

 one or two cities which failed to comply fully with the require- 

 ments of the law. The most conspicuous example of failure 

 to carry out fully the requirements of the statute was at Salem, 

 where, notwithstanding the earnest protest of the superintendent, 

 funds were not made available for the thorough enforcement 

 of the law in the matter of work on private estates. As a 

 result, during the larval season these neglected estates yielded 

 swarms of gypsy moth caterpillars, which, spreading outward, 

 attacked the shade trees on the streets, and thus caused to be 

 undone the very efficient work which had previously been per- 

 formed against the moths 011 the public streets. It is impossi- 

 ble to keep trees on streets clear from the moths unless the law 

 is properly enforced on private estates which abut on the same. 

 The condition of affairs at Salem is cited as an illustration of 

 the interdependence of the work against the moth pest by the 

 municipality and that done by private citizens, and as showing 

 that, unless the law can be properly enforced on private estates, it 

 avails but little to go to the expense of cleaning the adjoining 

 street trees. 



It was possible to secure a vigorous enforcement of the law as 

 applied to private estates throughout about 90 per cent, of the 

 thickly settled sections of the moth-infested district. Property 

 owners were instructed in the proper methods of work, and 

 when it became generally understood that the provisions of the 

 law were to be enforced, an enormous amount of private estate 

 clearing was accomplished. x\side from the direct operations 

 of creosoting gypsy moth nests and cutting and burning brown- 



