REPORT OF STATE ENTOMOI^OGIST. 219 



diet that the number of nests has been reduced more than fifty 

 per cent. Hardly a nest has been reported from the tier of 

 towns along the northern border of the infestation, and there 

 has been no further spread reported. 



For the benefit of those who have not seen a copy of the law 

 we will quote the section pertaining to brown-tail work. 



"Section 7. Should any person in the state suspect the presence of 

 the brown-tail moth or San Jose scale preying upon trees, shrubs or 

 vines in his possession or within his knowledge he shall forthwith notify 

 the commissioner of agriculture to that effect ; and it shall be the duty 

 of said commissioner to cause the said trees, shrubs or vines to be 

 inspected. If sufficient cause be found the commissioner of agriculture 

 shall forthwith notify the municipal officers of the city or town where 

 such pests have been found. Municipal officers thus notified shall 

 immediately cause to be destroyed such of the above named insects in 

 their different stages as may be found within the limits of public streets 

 and parks. Should such municipal officers neglect or fail within a 

 reasonable time to perform the duties herein imposed upon them then 

 the commissioner of agriculture, with the advice and consent of the 

 governor and council, shall order such city or town to proceed to destroy 

 the above named insects in accordance with methods to be prescribed 

 by him and to spend such an amount in the above named work as he 

 shall deem necessary, not exceeding, however, during any one full year, 

 one twentieth of one per cent of the tax valuation of said city or town 

 for the preceding year. 



Any city or town failing to comply with the directions of said com- 

 missioner in the performance of said work and the expenditure of such 

 money within the time specified by him, then the commissioner of agri- 

 culture shall cause the said work to be done and shall charge the actual 

 expense of the same to said city or town ; the amount, however, not to 

 exceed one-twentieth of one per cent of the total valuation of such 

 city or town, such amount to be collected as a state tax. 



Whenever a city or town is notified by the commissioner of agricul- 

 ture of the presence of the brown-tail moth or San Jose scale, the mayor . 

 of each city and the selectmen of each town shall notify each owner 

 of real estate located therein, requiring him to destroy the above named 

 insects on his orchard and shade trees within a specified time. If the 

 owner fails to destroy the above named insects before the specified time, 

 then the city or town, subject to the approval of the commissioner of 

 agriculture, shall destroy them, and shall assess upon such aforesaid 

 real estate the actual cost of so doing, to an amount, however, not 

 exceeding one-tenth of one per cent of the assessed valuation of the 

 above named property. The amount so assessed shall be collected in 

 the form of taxes. 



It shall be the duty of the commissioner of agriculture to disseminate 

 information concerning the brown-tail and gipsy moths, San Jose scale 

 and other injurious insects or plant diseases. 



