BUREAU OF ENTOMOLOGY. 391 



After the 1st of January snow conditions became bad in Massa- 

 chusetts and the northern part of Connecticut. In fact, southern 

 Connecticut was the only region in New England where field work 

 could be done to advantage. Certain sections that could not be 

 SCO ated in the winter were finished early in the spring, and most of 

 the work was completed as planned, except in Vermont. 



As a result of this work the following number of towns were added 

 to the area quarantined for the gipsy moth : New Hampshire, 12 ; 

 Vermont, 33 ; Connecticut, 9. Three towns in Vermont were dropped 

 from quarantined areas as no infestation was found. Total in- 

 crease for the year, 51 towns. 



Scouting for the brown-tail moth was carried on along the infested 

 border in Maine and New Hampshire by a few men specially detailed 

 for that work. As a result of the inspections made, 2 towns in Maine 

 and 13 in New Hampshire were added to the area quarantined for 

 this insect. Eight towns in Maine were examined and no infestation 

 found and they were released from quarantine. Total increase in 

 area, 5 towns. 



The scouting work in New Jersey proceeded about as planned. In 

 addition, 395 acres of tree growth in a number of river valleys and 

 along the Raritan Canal were either cut or thinned. Many of the 

 trees were defective and furnished such convenient hiding places for 

 egg clusters of the gipsy moth that it was necessary to eliminate 

 them in order to insure thorough clean-up work. 



The results of the scouting were very encouraging. Fewer colonies 

 were found than during the preceding year, and in large portions of 

 the outlying area no trace of the insect was discovered. In the area 

 north of Somerville, known as the Watchung ranges, small colonies 

 were located in the woodland. This is the most difficult section in 

 which to do thorough work, and intensive spraying operations were 

 conducted during June. All known infestations were sprayed, and 

 owing to favorable weather the work was very effective. The labor 

 supply was very scarce, however, and it was difficult to secure a suffi- 

 cient number of men to carry through the spraying work. This made 

 the work more difficult to manage and more expensive than usual. 



All colonies found in the area scouted in New England were either 

 banded or sprayed during the spring. 



General summary or conditions. — In the territory generally in- 

 fested with the gipsy moth the area defoliated has been nmch less 

 than in previous years. 



A number of towns have suffered severely, particularly in south- 

 eastern Massachusetts and in an extensive area west of Fitchburg, 

 Mass., and throughout several groups of towns west of the Merri- 

 mack River in New Hampshire. Defoliated areas of considerable size 

 were also reported near Lake Winnepesaukee, N. H. 



The improvement in conditions in the wooded areas was due to 

 considerable nonhatch of the egg clusters above the snowline in many 

 sections and to the increase in the effectiveness of imported natural 

 enemies and disease. The records at the gipsy-moth laboratory in- 

 dicate that natural enemies have been more numerous and more bene- 

 fit has resulted from their work than during any previous year. 



The brown-tail moth infestation was slightly more severe than 

 during the previous year, and scattering winter webs were found in 



78007— AGE 1923 26 



