1907.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT- -\<. 73. 135 



with a force of about 25 men, were used. When all the machines were 

 in operation about 200 pounds of arsenate of lead were used daily. 



Adjoining the water works land at the south end of Spot Pond, for 

 a distance of 2,500 feet, is land belonging to the city of Medford. This 

 land was badly infested with gypsy moths, but nothing was done toward 

 protecting the property. As a result, the trees were stripped of leaves, 

 and great difficulty was experienced in preventing the caterpillars from 

 entering upon the water works land and devastating that also. The 

 most efficient means of preventing this was found to be a line of hem- 

 lock boards, 10 inches wide, set on edge along the property line and 

 coated on one side with Tanglefoot. Hay, sprinkled with fuel oil, was 

 also used for the same purpose, but proved less efficient. 



The land around the Fells reservoir is in the custody and control of 

 the Metropolitan Park Commission, but, as the trees in the vicinity of 

 the reservoir were quite badly infested, with the consent of the super- 

 intendent of the Fells reservation those on a strip 50 feet wide surround- 

 ing the reservoir were painted with Tanglefoot, and large numbers of 

 caterpillars were destroyed by our employees. 



At Mystic Lake and at Chestnut Hill reservoir the egg clusters were 

 destroyed and the foliage sprayed with arsenate of lead. At the Weston 

 reservoir the number of trees infested with the gypsy moth was com- 

 paratively small, and the foliage was not sprayed. Where the cater- 

 pillars were discovered, bands of burlap were placed around the trees 

 and the caterpillars killed. 



On the lands around the reservoirs in Framingham, Southborough 

 and Marlborough, and in the vicinity of the Wachusett dam in Clinton, 

 a considerable number of the nests of the brown-tail moth were removed 

 from the trees and destroyed. 



As a result of the work done during the past two years, the number 

 of gypsy moth egg clusters to be destroyed on the property around 

 Spot Pond is very much less than last year, but at the Chestnut Hill 

 reservoir and at the Weston reservoir the number has increased, this 

 increase being due in some measure to the neglect of the owners of 

 adjoining properties. 



The total amount expended for the work on all the water works lands 

 was about $12,700, of which approximately $10,500 was expended in 

 protecting the lands around Spot Pond. The work of suppressing the 

 gypsy and brown-tail moths has been under the direction of Mr. Dexter 

 Brackett, engineer of the Sudbury and distribution department. 



Respectfully yours, HENRY H. SPRAGUE, 



Chairman. 



