EXPERIMENT STATION EEPOET. 549 



i- subject, published in 1896 under the direction of the State Board 

 . ,, Agriculture by the State of Massachusetts, Mr. Edward H. Forbush, 

 lirld^director, gives a full account of its early spread, the individual 

 efforts to check its ravages and the reasons why in so long a period so 

 little spread had been made. 



The conditions in the worst infested districts are described as fol- 

 lows: "The number of caterpillars that swarmed over certain sec- 

 tions of the town during the latter part of June and most of July, 

 1889, is almost beyond belief. Prominent citizens have testified that 

 the 'worms' were so numerous that one could slide on the crushed 

 bodies on the sidewalks; and that they crowded each other off the 

 trees and gathered in masses on the ground, fences and houses, enter- 

 in o- windows, destroying flowering plants in the houses and even 

 ai^iearing in the chambers at night. The huge, hairy, full-grown 

 caterpillars were constantly dropping upon people on the sidewalks 

 beneath the trees, while the smaller larvae, hanging by invisible threads, 

 were swept into the eyes and upon the faces and necks of passers. ^ The 

 myriads that were crushed under foot on the sidewalks of the village 

 gave the streets a filthy and unclean appearance. Ladies passing along 

 certain streets could hardly avoid having their clothes soiled, and were 

 obliged to shake the caterpillars from their skirts. Clothes hanging 

 upon the line were stained by the larvas which dropped or blew upon 

 them from trees or buildings. In the warm, still, summer nights a 

 sickening odor arose from the masses of caterpillars and pupa? in the 

 woods and orchards, and a constant shower of excrement fell from the 

 trees. The presence of this horde of gypsy moth larva had become a 

 serious nuisance and was fast assuming the aspect of a plague." 



It should be explained here that, unlike most other caterpillars, 

 that of the gypsy moth is almost omnivorous, feeding upon conifers 

 as well as deciduous trees, and upon field crops as readily as upon 

 roadside shrubs and weeds — practically nothing comes amiss. 



So serious was the matter deemed that in 1890 the Legislature 

 appropriated $25,000 "to provide against depredations by the insect 

 known as the Ocneria dispar, or gypsy moth." In 1891 an additional 

 appropriation of $50,000 was made; in 1892, $75,000 was provided; 

 in 1893 the sum was increased to $100,000; in 1894 a similar amount 

 of $100,000 was made available; in 1895 another increase brought 

 the amount up to $150,000. Thus, up to the date of the report 

 already referred to. just half a million dollars ($500,000) had been 



