1907.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT No. 73. 51 



SAUGUS. 

 THOMAS E. BERRETT, Local Superintendent. 



Work in this town has continued vigorously throughout the 

 year, it being perhaps as badly infested by the gypsy moth as 

 any town in the district. During the winter months the work 

 of clearing private estates was prosecuted vigorously, with the 

 result that by the opening of spring nearly every estate in the 

 thickly settled district had been treated. A considerable amount 

 of cutting brush and thinning trees was also required in this 

 section. Trees 011 private estates were treated with Tanglefoot, 

 and during the early caterpillar season hundreds of thousands 

 of insects were crushed beneath these bands. The street trees 

 and also several large areas of woodland near residential sections 

 were burlapped and attended throughout the season. As soon 

 as the caterpillars had appeared in numbers, spraying with two 

 large power outfits was carried on in the residential section 

 and along the principal infested streets, this work giving most 

 excellent results. 



In the Breakheart Forest reservation, where the owners had 

 made large expenditures to protect their trees, the town co- 

 operated to a considerable extent in destroying egg clusters, 

 burning over ground, and burlapping. The results here were 

 satisfactory, taking into consideration the amount of money 

 expended. The fall inspection shows a marked improvement in 

 the general condition of street trees and in the thickly settled 

 districts. In the woodland, necessarily neglected during the 

 past season for lack of funds, the moths have made material 

 gains. These woodlands are principally of low valuation, and 

 unless larger appropriations are available, or unless the owners 

 are willing to co-operate liberally with the town and State in 

 combating the moth, these sections must necessarily suffer 

 severely in future years. An effort will be made, by thinning- 

 protective belts, to isolate some of the more important of these 

 colonies, and at least prevent them from extending to the high- 

 way. 



The F. P. Bennett estate on Forest Street, with one or two 

 other adjoining properties, for some years seriously infested, 

 has now been put in good condition for next season's work. 



