1907.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT No. 73. 33 



brown-tail moth in the early summer, and in certain sections 

 very serious gypsy moth depredations occurred. The responsi- 

 bility for this condition of affairs was principally due to the 

 failure of the city to provide the necessary funds for a thorough 

 campaign against the moths during the winter season. 



When the time for fall work arrived, through the active co- 

 operation of His Honor the mayor, suitable funds were provided 

 for the enforcement of the law on private property ; and a force 

 of upward of 100 men has been engaged in clearing and destroy- 

 ing the gypsy and brown-tail moths on private estates. This 

 work has been vigorously prosecuted, and, if it can be continued 

 through the winter, should yield a large measure of relief 

 to the most seriously infested districts. 



Much yet remains to be done in the way of cutting worthless 

 brush and dead trees in the outlyiug wards, where the gypsy 

 moth occurs in numbers; and next season the general use of 

 burlap and spraying should be followed. 



There has been some decrease in the numbers of brown-tail 

 moths in the city, and it is hoped that we shall soon be able to 

 bring both insects under control in Boston. 



BROOKLINE. 

 USIP PERIN, Local Superintendent. 



This town is thoroughly infested by the gypsy moth, and, 

 because of the large amount of ornamental shrubbery and many 

 valuable shade trees, does not lend itself as readily to the use 

 of wholesale methods as in the case of towns where real estate 

 has a lower valuation. It results, therefore, that in Brookline 

 we are practically restricted to the use of burlap, spraying, 

 and the destruction of egg clusters by hand. The work of 

 suppressing the moths, both on private property and on the 

 streets, has been undertaken by the town without reference to 

 the owner's liability. In this work much assistance has been 

 given by public-spirited citizens, who have employed contractors 

 to clear many of the principal estates. The use of the burlap 

 at Brookline gave very satisfactory results in 1906, but the 

 local situation is complicated by a large number of wooden 

 tree-guards, which harbor the egg clusters of the gypsy moth. 



