ISTew York Agricultural Experiment Station. 291 



historical account. 



The forest tent-caterpillar is considered a native of Eastern 

 Xorth America. We do not know how long it has been depre- 

 dating the forests, but its ravages have been noted for more than 

 a hundred years. One of the hrst authentic references" to it was 

 in 1797 with which account probably the tirst hgures of the cater- 

 pillar and cocoon are given. That the insect was then known to 

 be a very destructive one is indicated by the statement of Mr. 

 Abbott that it '' is sometimes so plentiful in Virginia as to strip 

 the oak trees bare." As a natural result of the settlement of the 

 country, the clearing of the land and the planting of orchards, the 

 depredations of the caterpillars gradually became more noticeable. 

 It is not probable, however, that it was considered a very serious 

 pest in the orchard until 1841, when Harris' mentioned it briefly. 

 In 1514 the same writer discussed"^ it more at length, referring 

 to it as ■' a new depredator of the orchard " as if he considered the 

 habit of feeding upon the foliage of fruit trees a newly acquired 

 one. Like most other insects this species undoubtedly had its 

 periods of abundance and decline, but of this there is little positive 

 evidence in the early references to it. Harris^ again mentioned 

 it in 1C52 as an apple pest, as did 1 itch'' in 1856 and 1858. There 

 appears to be no further indication of extensive injury until 

 l5UG and 1867, when the caterpillars again became very abun- 

 dant, especially in western New York. JSince then there have 

 been frequent accounts of their ravages all along the Atlantic 

 States, the outbreaks usually being confined to quite limited 

 areas. Some of the most important of these were in Maine in 

 1863, 1867, 1874, 1875 and in 1889 ; also in South Carolina in 

 1891 when the caterpillars appeared upon the forest trees in 

 almost incredible numbers. During the past three or four years 



2 Smith and Abbott. Insects of Georgia, p. 117. 



3 Harris, insects Injurious to Vegetation. Ist ed., p. 271. 



4 New England Farmer, 5: 412. 



6 Harris. Insects Injurious to Vegetation. 2d ed., p. 291. 



6 Fitch. Second and Fifth Reports on the Insects of New York, 



