206 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



THE BROWX-TAIL MOTH SITUATION. 



There has been but little spread northward of this pest dur- 

 ing the past year. 



But few nests were taken in the towns north of latitude 

 44-15; in fact many of the towns south of this did not report 

 a single nest. The nests were well cleaned up during the pre- 

 vious winter so that few remained to spread the pest. 



The southern portion of the State is very badly infested 

 owing to the excessive flight of the moths during the night of 

 July 2. This unusual flight will leave its effect so that the nests 

 will undoubtedly be found farther inland, during the coming 

 winter than ever before. This fact should not discourage 

 parties from cleaning up their orchards and shade trees, for if 

 they are thoroughly cleaned up in the fall or spring there will 

 be no damage from the trees being stripped the following sum- 

 mer, as the spreading in the case of the brown-tail is by means 

 of the female moth during her flight in July. 



The number of infested towns reported to date is 207. Most 

 of the towns reported that the work had been well done and 

 that the property holders were anxious to get rid of the pest. 



BROWN-TAIL FUNGOUS WORK. 



It was intimated in our last report that the work of 1907 

 would be continued during this season. A visit was made dur- 

 ing the last week in May to the scene of last year's work and 

 it was found that the germs of the disease had become scattered 

 to such an extent that diseased caterpillars were found through 

 most of the towns of Kitten,^ and a portion of Eliot. 



We found that the season was at least two weeks in advance 

 of 1907 and that some of the caterpillars were in their last stage. 



Preparations were immediately made to have diseased larvse 

 collected and planted out. A rain storm hindered the work so 

 that it was not taken up until June 4th. On this date about 

 5,000 infested caterpillars were collected. On June 5th a place 

 on Rice's avenue was visited and found to be badly infested. 

 Ffteen large apple trees and a black cherry tree were stripped 

 of their leaves but the caterpillars were so badly infested with 

 the disease that the most of them were dead and hanging in 

 clusters from the limbs. 



