Commissioner of Agriculture 201 



■where about two hundred egg masses were found in 1912. This colony was 

 entirely eradicated by the thorough destruction of all trees, hedge rows, build- 

 ings and old fences that afforded the least screen for the gipsys. So thor- 

 oughly was the Avork done that no gipsys could be found in 1913, 1914, or to 

 date (May, 1915). 



The other colony of gipsy moths found was in the densely wooded and 

 rocky hillsides of a private estate four and one-half miles from Mount Kisco, 

 and one-half mile back from the highway, where in the spring of 1914 over 

 fifteen thousand egg masses of gipsy moth were destroyed. Most of these 

 were in a single oak tree and in the natural rock work beneath. 



After consultation with officials who are familiar with the gipsy moth, a 

 plan was carried out under the direction of the Commissioner of Agriculture 

 having in mind the single purpose of eradicating the colony. Hundreds of 

 tons of loose rock were turned over and treated with gasoline. All of the 

 egg masses that could be found within the area were treated with creosote. 

 Over ten thousand trees were banded with burlap or tanglefoot and several 

 tons of arsenate of lead were used for spraying all trees within one thousand 

 feet of the infested section. It was too much to expect that such a colony 

 which had been growing for three or four years could be eliminated in a single 

 season, but in addition to the work done by the agents of the Department 

 of Agriculture, the Federal Government sent several of their best scouts into 

 Westchester County during the winter just passed and less than a dozen 

 egg masses of the gipsy moth have been found by them. 



To carry out the plan of the Commissioner of Agriculture to have this 

 colony eliminated, it has been deemed best to practically double the amount 

 of spraying that was done last year. This is necessary because of the fact 

 that a part of the egg masses recently discovered were upon properties ad- 

 joining that of the original infestation, and of course the area of last year 

 must be thoroughly sprayed again this year to insure success. 



The habit of the gipsy moth of spreading slowly into adjoining townships 

 from year to year, or spreading slowly from any center where the egg masses 

 might have been carried, indicated that we should locate any such center of 

 infestation and use every effort for elimination as has been done in Connecti- 

 cut and in outlying sections of Massachusetts. 



THE BROWN-TAIL MOTH CONDITION 



This pest, as has been seen, may be brought into the State on nursery stock 

 and the ability of the female moth to make a flight of many miles, perhaps 

 fifty or more in a single season, indicates the way by which we may In time 

 expect to have this unwelcome pest established, first in the eastern portion 

 and ultimately all over the State. 



The efforts of the Department of Agriculture are strenuous in the control 

 of the brown-tail moth. The only place in the State where it has become 

 established is an area of about twenty miles east and west on the extreme 

 eastern end of Long Island. The first knowledge that we had of the brown - 

 tail moth at that point was in the winter of 1913-1914. Less than two hun- 

 dred small webs were found and destroyed. Inspection was made during the 

 summer of 1914 and again during the winter of 1914-1915, and thorough 



