lls (iVINV AM) r,KO\VN-TAIL MOTHS. [Jan. 



those reported as being infested last year. These new colonies are of 

 course comparatively small at the present time. A slight infestation 

 occurs also in many of the forests of Plymouth County, as well as in 

 the forests north and west of Boston. These slight infestations form so 

 many centers from which the insect will spread rapidly, and in a sur- 

 prisingly short time thoroughly infest the entire region, with the result 

 that the forest lands will be so generally and thoroughly infested that 

 I In- pine timber of the Plymouth County region may be destroyed, as 

 well as the other kinds of valuable wood in this territory. 



Throughout the infested region there are many old orchards contain- 

 ing more or less hollow trees, within which may be concealed numerous 

 egg masses of the gypsy moth which are quite sure to be overlooked; 

 and, as a result, the cost of clearing these orchards will amount in a 

 few years to far more than they are worth. It is therefore much 

 the wiser policy, even for the owner himself, to remove all hollow trees 

 from an orchard, and then young trees can be set out to replace them. 

 These young trees, if they become infested, can be much more easily 

 and cheaply freed from insect pests than the older ones. 



In most of the towns and cities those in charge of the work have 

 obtained excellent results; but in a few cases the persons appointed 

 by the authorities to carry on this work have no special fitness for it, 

 either by nature or by training, and, as a result, there has been much 

 waste of time and money. The taxpayers of these towns and cities, 

 who furnish a part of the money, and the taxpayers of the Common- 

 wealth of Massachusetts, who furnish the rest of it, have a right to 

 demand that there shall be a judicious expenditure of the funds. In a 

 few places the authorities themselves have been remiss in their duties 

 under the law, and either have not furnished their proper appropria- 

 tions, or have failed to make them at the time when the most effective 

 work could be done for the suppression of the gypsy moth. These 

 things are very embarrassing, not only to the superintendent of the 

 work, but to all interested in its success, and to manage such cases 

 judiciously requires the patience of Job and the wisdom of Solomon. 



In some places, as at Medford. Saugus, Canton, Milton. Framing- 

 liam and Xatick. public-spirited citi/ens with noble and generous im- 

 pulses have undertaken the oversight of this work, or have made lar-e 

 personal contributions to it. thus relieving the taxpayers of the town 

 of more or less of the burden that would otherwise have fallen upon 

 them. Let us hope that such instances are fully appreciated by the 

 residents of the towns where they occur. 



The expense of properly clearing an infested orchard, ornamental 

 fives and shrubs, or a piece of forest laud of the gypsy moth is far 

 greater than one who has had no experience with this insect would im- 

 agine. The cost of clearing forests alone, as shown in the report of 

 last year, page 106, is "not far from $.~>0 per acre, and to this must 

 In- added the expense of putting burlaps on all the remaining trees the 



