EEPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 147 



of territory, Congress appropriated to the department a sum of 

 mone}^ to be used in the effort to prevent the spread of both gipsy 

 moth and brown-tail moth. 



During the years in which this appropriation has been made, the 

 bureau and the different States acting in cooperation have suc- 

 ceeded in preventing any extensive spread and in making the condi- 

 tions of the toAvns and vilhiges within the infested territory per- 

 fectly livable, whereas previously both species had been enormously 

 destructive and very annoying. 



During that period further extensive importations of the para- 

 sites and natural enemies of the gipsy moth have been made from 

 Europe and from Japan, and of the brown-tail moth from different 

 parts of Europe. Very many species have been imported in great 

 quantities, and a number of them have been established in New Eng- 

 land territory. The effect of their work is being more strongly seen 

 each year, and it is hoped that they will shortly become so numerous 

 as to be important factors in holding the destructive insects in check. 



Recent discoveries have been made which promise, by observing 

 certain principles in forest management, to result in the preservation 

 of good stands of timber in the New England forests in spite of the 

 continued presence of these tree pests. 



OTHER NOXIOUS IK SECTS. 



The introduction of the parasites and natural enemies of the gipsy 

 moth and broAvn-tail moth is not the only work of this kind done by 

 the bureau. An important enemy of the black scale of the orange 

 and olive has been introduced, an egg parasite of the elm-leaf beetle 

 as well, and at present the bureau is engaged in importing the 

 European parasites of the alfalfa weevil. Similar shipments of 

 American parasites to foreign Governments have also been made, and 

 the most striking success has been achieved in the sending of a 

 minute parasite of the mulberry scale from the United States to 

 Italy, w'here it is reported to have been of the greatest benefit in the 

 destruction of the scales, which bred so numerously in the mulberry 

 plantations as to threaten the entire destruction of this tree upon 

 which is based the great silk-growing industry of that country. 



A few years ago a thrips appeared upon pear trees and other de- 

 ciduous fruit trees in central California, completely blasting the 

 crops and spreading rapidly, threatening the destruction of prac- 

 tically all deciduous fi-uits on the Pacific coast. After two years' 

 investigation of the method of life of this pest, the bureau discov- 

 ered perfectly competent remedies, by the use of which orchardists 

 are once more growing their normal crops. 



Three vears ago a weevil destructive to the alfalfa was discov- 

 ered in the \ icinity of Salt Lake City. It has spread rather rapidly 



