114 ANNUAL RlirORTS OF DErARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



This is in vivid contrast to the conditions which existed at the 

 beginning of the work. Even in forested areas there has been no 

 extensive deatli of trees owing to complete defohation. The reason 

 for this is that the destruction of the leaves of a given area for two 

 consecutive years seldom or never happens. When a woodland 

 colony of the gipsy moth increases to such a size as to bring about 

 the complete defoliation of an area, the numbers of the caterpillars 

 are so great as to cause their death by millions from overcrowding, 

 disease, starvation, and the attacks of natural enemies. It results 

 that practically only those individuals on the border of the area 

 survive and propagate, so that the following season not the old area 

 but a contiguous area receives the attention of their offspring. 



Aside from the clearing up of roadsides, extensive search during 

 the winter season is carried on all around the borders of the area 

 known to be infested, in order to discover at the earliest possible 

 date either new colonies or those which have existed for some years 

 but wliich have not before been found. Egg masses, where found, 

 are destroyed. In the early summer, after eggs have hatched, 

 extensive spraying operations with arsenical mixtures are carried on. 

 Many trees are banded with a sticky mixture to prevent the ascent of 

 caterpillars. By arrangements with the railroad companies, all 

 shipments of lumber and all articles likely to carry the eggs of the 

 gipsy moth from within the infested territory to other parts of the 

 country are inspected before shipment, in order to make it certain 

 that the insect will not be spread by this mode of distribution. 



In all of the States mentioned the Department works in hearty 

 cooperation with the state authorities. Each of the States is assist- 

 ing — Massachusetts, Maine, Connecticut, and Rhode Island effec- 

 tively; New Hampshire not so effectively. 



During the past fiscal year it has transpired that the infested area 

 is somewhat larger, but the rate of increase has been shown to be 

 proportionately less than it has been any year since the beginning of 

 the work. The infested area in New England is now a little more 

 than 10,500 square miles. The work in Massachusetts is carried on 

 along the old lines. In New Hampshire about 100 men were kept in 

 the State during the winter carrying on scouting operations and 

 applying creosote to the egg clusters along the roadsides. This 

 scouting indicated the presence of the gipsy moth in twenty-one 

 towns where it had not theretofore been suspected. There were no 

 large colonies, and in some of the towns only single egg clusters were 

 found. There seems to be little hope of controlling the gipsy moth 

 in New Hampshire until the authorities appreciate more fully the 

 serious character of the tlireatened damage. A local organization 

 should be brought about in each city and town, under state super- 

 vision, and a constant concerted effort should be begun. There is the 



