STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. II3 



the neighboring trees (especiahy the pears and wild cherries) 

 bear abundant evidence. 



'inns strong winds, Hghted trains and boats, and vehicles of 

 all sorts are seen to be among the factors which hasten the nat- 

 ural spread of this dreaded pest. 



REMEDIAL MEASURES. 



Clean CtiUure. 



Among the remedial measures to be considered too much stress 

 cannot be laid upon clean culture. This implies not only the 

 proper care of the valuable trees themselves, but also that they 

 shall be protected from bad company. There may be an apple 

 tree way off in some corner too old to yield fruit, but still bring- 

 ing forth a crop of bud moths and tent caterpillars ; or a group 

 of old pear trees somewhere in the neighborhood with blackened 

 leaves and undersized pears cracking to the centre ; or possibly, 

 straggling along the road, is a line of wnd cherry bushes dis- 

 torted with black knot and draped with caterpillar nests and 

 webs. It is these deserted or neglected trees that are to be 

 feared, for in them dangerous caterpillars mav breed unnoticed, 

 perhaps for years, until they become numerous enough to make 

 conspicuous ravages. The wise man cuts down and burns the 

 old trees which are infested with dangerous diseases or which are 

 not worth keeping clear of insect pests. 



Cutting and Burning the Winter Nests. 



This is the most important of the direct remedies because it is 

 the easiest, cheapest, and if thoroughly done, a sufficient protec- 

 tion against the ravages of this pest. The webs and leaves that 

 compose the nest are woven tightly through the tips of the 

 branches and hang there like dead leaves all winter. With so 

 many months for inspection there is no excuse for harboring the 

 hibernating caterpillars on shade or orchard trees. After they 

 are cut from the branches, the nests should be burned, as this is 

 the simplest way of destroying the colony within. 



"As showing how cheaply webs may be gathered where a gen- 

 eral campaign is made, the figures of work done by employees 

 of the Massachusetts gypsy moth committee in 1899 are of 

 interest. At that time over nine hundred thousand webs were 



