62_ 



Whenever feasible each crew chooses a headquarters from week to 

 week in some town, and the work is planned so that the men may con- 

 verge upon it towards the end of the week, in order that they may get 

 a change of linen, and that the work accomplished may be recorded and 

 the results forwarded to'Fredericton, while the work for the coming week 

 is planned. The men are sent out in pairs as a matter of precaution, for 

 they have to go often far from traversed roads where an accident to a 

 solitary man might lead to serious results. These two men usually take 

 opposite sides of a road each working his territory back to the woods, 

 but get into touch occasionally and help each other out when the work 

 is unevenly divided. The work proceeds with far greater ease when, snow- 

 shoeing is possible. Not only is it less tiring than walking over frozen 

 ploughed orchards, but it also aids partners in keeping in touch with each 

 other since a glance at an orchard for tracks at once shows whether one's 

 partner is ahead or behind. 



At sunset the two men together seek a night's lodging in a convenient 

 house, and there count over, and record, their day's takings. 



Thus from day to day more and more territory is covered and the 

 work of different crews is joined up, till before the close of the winter, it 

 is believed that very few of the susceptible trees have escaped examination. 

 Anyone familiar with the condition in New Brunswick will realise how 

 difficult it would be to say that not a tree had been missed. The apple 

 orchards in open spaces have been examined without exception as also 

 have, probably, the seedlings that spring up along the snake fences stretch- 

 ing back to the woods. But there are deserted orchards now overgrown 

 with forest growth, which are difficult to discover and difficult to examine, 

 and there are the seedlings just within the fringe of the woods which are 

 detected only with the greatest care. When such an orchard is heard of 

 from inhabitants of the district, it is hunted up and its location is marked 

 on the map carried by the man, so that in all maps of the district for use 

 in subsequent years its presence will be indicated. 



There are, besides these places, large areas which have grown up to 

 a tangle of thorn or apple seedlings where one can move around with diffi- 

 culty only, and unless there is sufficient snow on the ground it is almost 

 impossible for one to say with certainty that the whole has been traversed. 



Most of the men return to the work from year to year and have now 

 gained an efficiency which is indicated by the results shown by a compari- 

 son of the infestation in 1913-14 notwithstanding the fresh migrations 

 from infested districts across the "line." ''^ 



