REPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST I908 43 



tion of the residential area was very gratifying, practically no trees 

 either along the roads or on private estates were defoliated. Con- 

 tinuing, we passed from Melrose northward and eastward to Lynn, 

 thence to Salem and across to Beverly. The same conditions pre- 

 vailed as were observed in the vicinity of Arlington, except that 

 the injury north of Salem appeared for the most part to be more 

 recent and the woodland had not suffered so much, though limited 

 tracts here and there were evidently badly infested. The street 

 trees of Salem, though in very bad condition a few years ago, are 

 now practically free from the pest. 



The authorities are depending upon several methods for the 

 control of the gipsy moth. Owing to the short season during 

 which spraying is practical, an effort has been made to accomplish 

 as much as possible by winter work, which latter consists in creo- 

 soting egg masses on trees throughout the infested area. This is 

 supplemented, in the case of woodlands, by burning over the ground 

 in order to destroy egg masses which may have been broken while 

 climbing the trees or dislodged by birds or other natural agents. 

 This burning is preferably deferred till early spring, after the eggs 

 have hatched, and is usually preceded by cutting out the under- 

 brush. The latter, if abundant, must be removed so that the trees 

 vvill not be injured by fire. Then, by carefully controlling the 

 flames, and especially by backfiring, it is possible to burn over a 

 large area without materially injuring the forest. The extended 

 area infested makes it impossible to treat all parts in an ideal man- 

 ner, and a rather crude method of controlling the pest in wood- 

 lands has been adopted in some cases. This is accomplished by 

 simply allowing the caterpillars to strip the woods and then burn 

 over the ground just as the majority of them are leaving the trees 

 and seeking food elsewhere. This method of procedure, while un- 

 doubtedly injurious to the trees, is much less hannful than were 

 the insects allowed to propagate without restriction. 



The work with parasites conducted by the state Of Massachu- 

 setts in cooperation with the federal government is most encourag- 

 ing. The work of 1907 has been considerably extended by pro- 

 viding larger quarters and a more adequate staff'. Furthermore, 

 special efforts have been made to secure larger sendings from 

 European countries, and a special agent was dispatched to Japan. 

 This latter undertaking has proved most encouraging, in that a 

 Lrge Apanteles and a new egg parasite of the gipsy moth have 

 been received from Japan, and the Apanteles at least, has been bred 



