Ill (JVl'SV AM) r,KO\YN-TAIL MOTHS. [Jan. 



tho park authorities, and of others who did nothing against the gypsy 

 moths. Tin- caterpillar- came in on us ly thousands literally in 

 droves from tin- park, and im\v our trees are as bud as ever. 

 a. 1. 1906. 



hi;. KKAXK Wdonm'Kv. WAKKKIKLD. 



When tin- Stair \vork stopped in Kind, (he i:ypsv moths were so few 

 in Wakelield that practically there were none at all. In 1901 a colony 

 uas I'l.und near the car barn: in liMCj there were not over three isolated 

 colonies in the town: after that there uas a gradual increase, until in 

 l!io."> the moths were well scattered over the town, but still in compara- 

 tively small numbers except in three or four colonies where there were 

 "od many. To-day we have on an average ten times the number of 

 uypsy moths over the town that we had a year ago. While the work 

 a-jainst known colonies of. the moths has been very satisfactory, in the 

 localities where there were few previously, there is a very noticeable 

 increase of the insect. 



A- in the brown-tail moths, we are far ahead of the conditions in the 

 past. In fact, the brown-tail question is hardly a question at all in 

 \Vaketield to-day. The brown-tails this summer have hardly been more 

 in evidence than the tent caterpillars. 1 went down repeatedly to the 

 x-rub oaks on the east side of the town, where last year the trees were 

 riddled by the brown-tail caterpillars and where later the trees were 

 full of their not-, and il was hardly possible to find a live caterpillar 

 in the nests. Mr. Whit(redge has done splendid work against the brown- 

 tails. A great many adult brown-tail caterpillars have died this year 

 of fungous disease. The (light of millers was very small this summer. 

 Last summer during the miller season the ground beneath an arc light 

 in front of my house would be white with wings of brown-tail moths 

 which the English sparrows had caught on the under side of leaves, 

 where the insects were laying their eggs. The number of cases of poison- 

 ing has fallen off very markedly this summer. 



I think tho disposition on the part of the citi/ens to do work against 

 both kinds of ninths is good. 



Ar-:. 1. 1'inr,. 



loiix L. UAKVKV. MAYOR, WAI.TIIA.M. 



With regard to the brown-tail moths. 1 am satisfied that we are very 

 much better off than last year. 



A- t<> the ^\psy moths, we have very thoroughly cared for three or 

 four localities in the residential part of the city where last year there 

 was a had. though restricted, infestation. Certain oaks in these places 

 wen- loaded with i:ypsy moth nests. One of these trees was entirely 

 stripped last year, and another partly so. During the winter the egg 

 clusters in the above-mentioned localities were treated, and this summer 

 there ha- been no defoliation. Throughout the residential portions of 

 Waltham. in fact, there ha\e been no trees stripped this summer. So 



