I 



REPORT OF THE SOCIETY 33 



some definite scheme of control. Furthermore, it was appreciated, that with 

 the increase in the size of the infested territory, there was a corresponding in- 

 crease in the amount of money necessary for control work, and it would not be 

 long before sufficient money would not be appropriated for this work. As a 

 result of the conference , a barrier zone was to be established twenty five miles 

 in width and extending from the international border to Long Island Sound. 

 All territory in this area was to be kept free from the gipsy moth. 



Canada was naturally very interested in this policy, especially as in 1912 

 the nearest colony of the gipsy moth was only ten miles from the Quebec border. 

 During the summer of that year two Federal scouts made a hurried survey of 

 the eastern townships, and as a result of the conference held in the fall of that 

 same year, a more extensive scout of this same area was made the following 

 summer. In the fall of 1923, just as the scouting work in Quebec was being 

 completed, the most severe outbreak of the gipsy moth e/er found in New 

 England, was discovered at Alburgh, Vermont, within one half mile of the 

 Quebec border. Scouting operations were immediately renewed in Quebec,, 

 particular attention l^eing paid to the territory immediately north of the Al- 

 burgh outbreak, in the seigneurie of Foucault, but with no result. 



Plans were however, instituted to carry out intensive scouting in southern 

 Quebec in 1924. The necessity of this work being emphasized by the discovery 

 of a number of outbreaks in the so called "Barrier Zone" in New York state. 

 The Province of Quebec became actively interested in the problem, as an out- 

 break of the gipsy moth in the forest areas in Quebec, where artificial control 

 such as spraying would he out of the question, would prove to be a very serious 

 matter. Special appropriations for this work were made by both the Federal 

 Department of Agriculture and the Quebec Department of Lands and Forests. 

 The field work started in July 1924, and approxniately thirty-six inspectors 

 were employed from that time until late in November. The territory examined 

 extended from Chateauguay county on the west to Compton county on the 

 east, and to about thirty miles north of the international boundary. This area 

 was divided into eight districts, and a foreman and three scouts were placed 

 in each district. 



On July 2*9111 the first record of the gipsy moth in Canada was established 

 by the discovery of a single egg cluster, near the village of Beebe, in Stantead 

 county. This cluster, after careful examination was found to be infertile. 

 Five weeks later a severe isolated infestation was discovered on the Belle Valleo 

 road, Lacolle township, St. Johns county. It is interesting to note in this con- 

 nection that the Belle Vallee infestation was found on the next road west, to 

 where the work stopped the previous season. 



Intensive scouting in the immediate vicinity of the outbreak, shows it to 

 be confined to four farms on both sides of the road and covering approximately 

 one third of a square mile. Control work consisting of creosoting the egg clus- 

 ters was started soon after the discovery of the infestation and a total of 2,694 

 3 



