202 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Jan., 



Secretary Brown. There is one other question. " Have 

 the birds lessened the quantity of gypsy and brown-tail moths 

 in Massachusetts ? " 



Prof. Forbush. Unfortunately, we have in this country a 

 plentiful supply of English sparrows, and they have a tendency 

 to drive other birds away. Just at the time when the English 

 sparrow began to drive our other birds out, these moths ap- 

 peared. We had comparatively few birds in that section, so 

 that the moths have increased. They have become so many 

 in fact, that nothing has stopped them. You are going to have 

 them right here. You will have the brown-tail moth within 

 five years, and the gypsy moth within ten years, and you might 

 as well understand it and get ready for them. There is no 

 question about it. You want to do everything you can to stop 

 these insects because they are going to be the worst pest you 

 have had to deal with in years. The gypsy moth preys on all 

 kinds of vegetation. It will kill your pines, and get into your 

 houses, and is a nuisance of the worst order. I know a man 

 who five years ago thought the gypsy moth was not going to 

 amount to much, and he did not want anything done on his 

 property. I went out to see him the other day. He said, " I 

 have lost two-thirds of my apple trees, and have suflFered much 

 damage on other trees and shrubs." That is the way it goes. 

 One gentleman I know of has spent over fifty thousand dollars 

 on his place in trying to stop these insects. He is still working. 

 We have got some parasitic natural enemies of these creatures. 

 Of course, they can be cultivated, but until they can be to a suf- 

 ficient extent, we have got to fight. You will have them here 

 just as sure as there is a God in Heaven, and you have got to 

 do everything that you can to fight them. 



Convention adjourned until lo a. m., Thursday, Decem- 

 ber 14th. 



