TIIK (iVTSV MOTH. 19 



among the dead leaves produced a sufficient number of 

 caterpillars to strip the foliage, entirely from the trees in the 

 centre of each colony, so that all the labor of the season of 

 IS'.),") served only to prevent the increase of the colonies, and 

 failed to contribute to the progress of extermination. The 

 number of the moths remained about the same, and they did 

 quite as much injury in these colonies in IS96 as in 1895. 



When in June the reduced appropriation for the season's 

 work became available, there was no time to do more than 

 put on the burlap in the outer towns before the caterpillars 

 bcg.-ni to cluster beneath it. In many of the colonies where 

 the eggs had hatched in April and May, and the caterpillars 

 had scattered so as to extend the limits of the colonies and 

 increase the number of infested trees, it became necessary to 

 put on a much larger number of burlaps than last year. 

 After June 20 no time remained for putting on burlaps, for 

 it required all hands to properly attend those already on, 

 otherwise, those put on would not have accomplished their 

 object. Therefore, for lack of time and means no burlaps 

 were put on the trees in the central towns excepting in 

 Everett and on a few estates elsewhere, mostly where the 

 property owners attended them. The defoliation and serious 

 injury and even death of many trees which occurred during 

 the summer might have been prevented by burlapping these 

 trees and killing the caterpillars, had the appropriation been 

 made in season. 



SUCCESSFUL SPRAYING. 



The results reached in 1895 with arsenate of lead suggested 

 a trial with this insecticide on a larger scale during 1896. 



^3 



It was used on fruit, shade and forest trees, at a strength of 

 twenty pounds to one hundred and fifty gallons of water, 

 with glucose added. In one locality in the Middlesex Fells 

 the trees had been entirely defoliated during part of the sum- 

 mer of 1895. This place was chosen for experimental spray- 

 ing. \o work was done in this colony during the winter of 

 1895-96, and the eggs therefore hatched in the spring. The 

 colony was situated in a grove of young trees, mostly oaks, 

 averaging some thirty feet in height. The trees on several 

 acres were sprayed. At the time of spraying, although the 



