I08 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



The increased nunilber of towns from that of 19 12 does not 

 mean that the infestations have increased, but indicates that 

 at the finish of the year 1912 the Government scouts had not 

 reached the Hmit of the infested area. This branch of our 

 v/ork is conducted by the United States Government and 

 consists of scouting the new towns along the border of in- 

 fested territory. This work is not done by the Government 

 with any efifort of preventing the spread of the moth to new 

 territory, but rather to estabhsh a quarantine line in accord- 

 ance with the United States regulations relative to the ship- 

 ment of forest products from sections infested with the 

 gypsy moth. At the present time it is doubtful if the limit 

 has been reached and I look for a large number of towns to be 

 added to the infested list in the next year. 



CORRESPONDENCE. 



In addition to the field work, a great deal of correspondence 

 has been carried on by the field agent. During the year 1,400 

 letters have been received and answered, all of which related 

 to the proper methods of handling the gypsy moth, many of 

 them reporting new infestations. In such cases an inspector 

 has been sent to the person making such report with the pur- 

 pose of educating the persons in the proper methods of taking 

 care of the pest. By this method we have enlisted the support 

 and help of a great many people and I believe that this service 

 is the best that can be rendered to our citizens, as it helps 

 them to take care of their orchards and shade trees in the best 

 manner possible. 



BULLETIN AND COLORED POST CARDS. 



There seemed to be a desire on the part of many of our 

 citizens to know more in detail of the life history of the gypsy 

 and brown-tail moths as well as the parasite work which has 



