304 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



WORK ON THE GIPSY MOTH AND THE BROWN-TAIL MOTH. 



This project has been continued throughout the year under the 

 supervision of A. F. Burgess, with headquarters at Melrose High- 

 lands, Mass. 



At the beginning of the fiscal year the work was resumed with 

 an appropriation of $400,000, while $500,000 was really needed to 

 check the continued spread of the gipsy moth in New England and 

 to follow up the exterminative measures that had been inaugurated 

 in the large infested area in New Jersey and in the small colonies 

 in New York State. An appropriation of $600,000 was asked for 

 the fiscal year 1923, with a request that $100,000 be made immediately 

 available. It was expected that this $100,000 would be available by 

 March 1, so that it could be used to finish up the scouting and spray- 

 ing work in the spring, thus completing the plan of work that had 

 been made for the year. This fund was not available, however, until 

 May 11. Prior to that time it became necessary to reduce the force 

 and to change completely the plan of field operations. In April the 

 entire force would have had to be dropped had it not been possible 

 for a number of the States to come to the rescue at the critical time 

 and finance the work temporarily. In Maine, New Hampshire, and 

 Vermont scouting work was carried on as planned, but the cleaning 

 work in the towns immediately inside the border had to be abandoned 

 on account of lack of funds. In Massachusetts and Connecticut more 

 infestation was found than was anticipated, but shortage of funds 

 at the time when they were most needed made it impossible to scout 

 the area that should have been covered. In addition to this work 

 that had to be neglected, it was not possible to make a thorough 

 examination of a number of towns in eastern New York that should 

 have been inspected, and no cleaning work was done in any of the 

 towns in Massachusetts or Connecticut in accordance with the origi- 

 nal plans. All sizable colonies in a strip 25 miles wide along the 

 western border were sprayed, and a considerable area was treated 

 farther east. The results were seriously interfered with by the 

 abnormally heavy rainfall during June. 



On July 1, 1922, the Federal Horticultural Board placed under 

 quarantine for the gipsy moth additional areas in New England as 

 follows: Maine, 346 square miles; New Hampshire, 46 square miles; 

 Vermont, 332 square miles; Massachusetts, 1,918 square miles; Con- 

 necticut, 1,003 square miles; making a total of 3,645 square miles. 

 Several towns were released from quarantine, as no infestation was 

 found at the time they were examined; there were 3 in Maine, 2 in 

 New Hampshire, and 2 in Vermont. 



In New York a colony of the gipsy moth was found at Green- 

 port, Long Island, and a small colony was reported at Patchogue, 

 Long Island. These have been carefully treated and sprayed. The 

 small colonies reported last year in five localities were carefully in- 

 spected and treated, and no infestation has been found this year. 

 Most of these colonies resulted from infested trees that had previously 

 been shipped from the Somerville, N. J., area. They must be care- 

 fully watched and treatment applied next year, should any infesta- 

 tion be found. It is believed, however, that the insect has been ex- 

 terminated in these localities. The work in New York has been con- 

 ducted in close cooperation with the State bureau of plant industry. 



