42 THE GYPSY MOTH. 



the fire. Here the around was again burned over and the 



c 1 ~ 



nioth was no doubt exterminated on this tract. 



As much of the forest land now infested has been reserved 

 for water or park purposes, it has not been deemed expedient 

 to use this method elsewhere, except in small colonies, or in 

 sproutland where the wood is of little value. Considerable 

 burning, however, has been done in connection with clearing 

 waste laud and in destroying the moth in certain situations 

 where other means of destruction are of less avail. 



In badly infested localities in the woodlands which are 

 cleared to destroy the eggs, there is usually much debris on 

 the ground in the shape of dead leaves, broken pieces of 

 decayed branches, decayed stumps, bark, etc., on and among 

 which the eggs of the moth have been deposited by the 

 moths themselves, or scattered by other causes. Therefore, 

 even if the eggs on the trees are destroyed, the task is not 

 complete, for in such localities many scattered eggs will re- 

 main upon the ground, and, if they are unmolested until 

 hatching time, the young caterpillars will ascend the trees, 

 and injury, which varies according to circumstances, results. 

 If, however, before hatching time the underbrush is cut, 

 piled and burned, the dry leaves and other debris raked 

 together and burned, and if afterward the ground is burned 

 over with oil, most of the scattered eggs will be destroyed. 

 Even then, however, some may escape the burning, and 

 caterpillars will usually be found in the locality another 

 season. 



A more successful method is as follows : The eggs upon 

 file trees are treated with creosote or petroleum, and thus 

 destroyed early in the fall. The undergrowth is cut away 

 and the dead limbs burned. The colony is then left for the 

 winter. Just before the caterpillars hatch in the spring, the 

 trees are banded with "Eaupenleim" or some other sub- 

 stance which will prevent the caterpillars ascending. As 

 they hatch out they feed on whatever may be available on 

 the ground, and when all the eggs have done hatching, the 

 ground is burned over with the cyclone burner. This has 

 proved the speediest way to exterminate the moth in the 

 woods where the trees are left standing : but examining; the 



O CT 1 



trees and burning over the ground are very expensive 



