1907.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT No. 73. 109 



But even after this there was an enormous quantity, which seemed liter- 

 ally to come out of the ground. This, in my opinion, was the result of 

 the scattering of eggs by improper methods of work. The caterpillars 

 massed themselves in sheets beneath the Tanglefoot bands on the oaks 

 on this land. One night my neighbor, after saturating with kerosene 

 the mass on the trunk, set it on fire, and it flamed up into the branches 

 of the tree. On the side of my estate adjoining this neglected lot I pro- 

 tected my trees with extra heavy bands of Tanglefoot, which resulted 

 in the destruction of additional thousands of caterpillars. 



There is, I think, an immense gain apparent everywhere to-day in all 

 the residential sections of Medford. I think our greatest moth-menace 

 to-day is the land owned by the Commonwealth, the Middlesex Fells 

 reservation. 



As to brown-tail moths, for several years my family have been badly 

 poisoned, but this year they have escaped harm. 



AUG. i, 1906. 



D. N. HOWARD, MEDFORD. 



In comparison with recent years, the gypsy moth caterpillars in the 

 residential parts of Medford have been this year a trifling thing. Al- 

 though I knew a great deal of work was being done, I have been aston- 

 ished at the good results attained. I am really surprised that so much 

 has been done. This, I think, is due to the generally aroused public 

 sentiment in regard to the moths, which in its turn has been brought 

 about by the good example set by General Lawrence, and the knowledge 

 that the State and city had combined in a concerted scheme of action to 

 push the work on public trees. I have not the slightest doubt that, as 

 before, when the State work had reduced the gypsy moth to harmless- 

 ness in Medford, we can by persistent effort against the moth in all 

 stages of its existence get back to the good conditions which obtained 

 six years ago. But there must be no let-up, no cessation in the work 

 of co-operation. 



To contrast the conditions to-day with those of a year ago : people 

 crushed caterpillars as they walked on the sidewalks; these were mostly 

 those of the gypsy moth, but there were brown-tail caterpillars also dur- 

 ing their time. As you glanced up the street, you might have thought 

 that a citizen engaged in this work of destruction, as he stepped from one 

 unfortunate worm to another, was playing hop-scotch ; this year we have 

 seen very few caterpillars at any time on the sidewalks. Last year I 

 kept a can of kerosene in readiness for the caterpillars on my veranda; 

 this year very few of these have been observed. This improvement in 

 regard to caterpillars is also true of my neighbors' yards. In the resi- 

 dential district of Medford last year there was very much stripping of 

 trees notably apples and purple beeches by the gypsy caterpillars, 

 and this included some of my own trees; this year, so far as I have 

 observed, there has been very little stripping. 



