1907.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT- -No. 73. 107 



great benefit to the moth work. We have had the benefit of his ex- 

 perience and advice, and there has been a coherent plan of campaign, 

 which has made for more efficient work all along the line. While the 

 city of Maiden has done a good deal against the moths in the past few 

 years, the passage of the State law last year and the assumption of a 

 general oversight and control of the work have certainly pushed things. 

 The fact that we have spent more money in the moth work than ever 

 before, being by the State law compelled so to do, has naturally brought 

 about greater results. 



As to private work against the moths, I do not think that as much 

 has been done by citizens this year as last year, and less last year than 

 two years ago. In many cases people have waited for the city to step 

 in and do the work for them. Then, the fact that the -neglect of a few 

 to do anything on their estates caused re-infestation of adjoining yards 

 where people had worked hard to clean things tended to discourage fur- 

 ther effort. But the results attained to-day by the city force on the 

 street trees are most encouraging, and I think it will result this fall in 

 inciting the citizens to work actively in suppressing the moths on their 

 premises. People are getting better educated in regard to the gypsy 

 moth, and know how to cope with it better than ever before. They are 

 learning the use of creosote and of Tanglefoot. I think the amount of 

 creosote used in Maiden last fall was double that used in the previous 

 year. 



AUG. 1, 1906. 



W. W. FIFIELD, MEDFORD. 



I live on Salem Street. Where there were 1,000,000 gypsy moth cat- 

 erpillars to be seen last year in my neighborhood, there is scarcely one 

 to be found to-day. Two years ago was the worst caterpillar year. The 

 caterpillars then were worse than they ever were in the past, even in 

 the early 90's. The usual scenes of the past - - fences, sidewalks, etc., 

 covered with caterpillars were repeated. I kept them off my trees 

 by dint of hard work, morning, noon and night. I had the egg clusters 

 treated during the leafless season, and banded the trees to keep the moths 

 from getting in them again. When the caterpillai's were small, I killed 

 myriads of them on the fences. I have four elms over one hundred 

 years old, in which I take great pride, and I would not lose them for 

 anything. In the last two years, when the caterpillars were so thick, 

 they came from Fulton Street up to my place. They all seemed to be 

 moving in the same direction; it was a systematic movement; they seemed 

 to know that they would find foliage to eat in my elms. 



Speaking for the residential parts of Medford generally, great prog- 

 ress against the moths has been made. This improvement has been 

 brought about by the action of the city government in making appro- 

 priations. The work has been administered in splendid shape by Supt. 

 John D. Dwyer. There has been an equivalent for all moneys ex- 

 pended. If the city continues the work as it has this year, the moths, 



