14 THE REPORT OF THE No. 19 



I advised them strongly to collect the egg-masses and urged them to 

 get a special permit from the Government to pass a by-law compelling 

 citizens to rid their trees of these egg-masses. 



Very soon after this visit I took ill and was unable to follow up the 

 matter, having to go out of town for quite a long time. Last year I thought 

 again about taking up the matter, but being still in poor health I had to 

 abandon the idea. 



I made out a report, called on the Board of Control, and bringing the 

 matter up most forcibly at their meeting I persuaded them to give the Park 

 Commissioner a grant of |5,000 to enable him to clean the city trees of these 

 egg-masses, at the same time urging the passing of the by-law compelling 

 the citizens to clean their trees. 



On receipt of the grant of $5,000 the Park Commissioner at once sent 

 out several gangs of men and they did splendid work in the infested places. 



About October 1st the by-law was passed and it was published in all the 

 papers, giving the citizens ten days' notice to have their trees cleaned. 

 Should the property holders not comply with this request the city has full 

 power to enter upon the premises, do the work and charge it up to the 

 citizens. This charge to be levied and collected with the local improvement 

 rates for the current year or other municipal rates. 



Should it be necessary the Park Commissioner will engage the school- 

 children again to collect the caterpillars and give them so much per quart, 

 and if needed some spraying will also be done. 



With the above method I feel sure the pest will be wiped out. 



Dr. Bethune expressed his gratification at the success which Mr. Hahn 

 had achieved in at length persuading the Board of Control in Toronto to 

 adopt proper methods of dealing with the Tussock Moth trouble. It was a 

 disgrace to the city that this insect should have been permitted for so many 

 years to ravage the horse chestnut and other shade trees ; the failure to deal 

 properly with the pest was due to the late Park Superintendent who would 

 not take the advice of Entomologists but adopted methods of his own, which 

 were perfectly useless. 



Mr. Nash : I have this to say that I think the whole trouble in Toronto 

 may be very fairly charged to the late Park Superintendent. It was in 1887 

 that I first noticed the Tussock Moth in Toronto, and I called his attention 

 to the fact, and he then gave me to understand that he knew all about it, 

 that he required no advice nor assistance, and that he would do as he pleased 

 in the matter. I think about the same time I spoke to Dr. Brodie and he 

 said that he and other members had endeavoured to do something and that 

 they had failed. However, from that time on the Tussock Moth increased-. 

 Application was then made for funds and every year he has been supplied 

 with three or four thousand dollars. He could have used that money to very 

 good advantage, but as a rule it was simply thrown away. They waited 

 until the larvae were about to spin their cocoons and he then expected to kill 

 the insects by putting poisons on the foliage long after the caterpillars had 

 ceased to eat. However, we have now a thoroughly educated man in charge 

 of our parks, one capable of judging and observins" for himself and willing 

 also to take the advice of those who are experienced. It is not possible for 

 us now to exterminate the Tussock Moth ; it has spread all through the woods 

 and is all over the country. I found it on Manitoulin Island and on St. 

 Joseph's Island where it had done an immense amount of mischief. As 

 everyone knows the egg-masses must be destroyed and this can very easily 

 be done during the winter months. 



