Il8 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



Upon receipt of this report, I wrote to the president of the 

 Pomological Society, calHng his attention to the fact that this 

 pest had invaded the State, and that while the legislature had 

 made it the duty of the commissioner of agriculture to see that 

 the best known treatment was applied to trees, shrubs and vines 

 for the destruction of injurious insects, the act carried no appro- 

 priation with it and in order to obtain funds for the purpose it 

 would be necessary to present the matter to the governor and 

 council. I asked him to appear before them at their next meet- 

 ing or send a letter which might be read at that time. Presi- 

 dent Gilbert sent a letter strongly urging the importance of 

 using all possible means to exterminate this dangerous insect at 

 this early stage of its invasion, which, together with a statement 

 of the findings of Miss Patch, the nature of the insect and the 

 seriousness of the danger which threatened the State, I presented 

 to the governor and council at their meeting on April 25th. 

 They cheerfully instructed me to visit the field and make investi- 

 gations, and clothed me with authority to use such means for 

 the destruction of the pest as I thought the emergency demanded. 



I at once consulted with Mr. Weed of New Hampshire, who 

 has had a great deal of experience in exterminating the insect in 

 his State, and secured the services of his deputy. 'Sir. G. A. 

 Thompson of Stratham. Mr. Thompson procured the assist- 

 ance of men who were accustomed to the work, and in co-opera- 

 tion with the officials of the town of Kittery, a systematic and 

 thorough campaign against the pest was organized. The select- 

 men and citizens of the town manifested great interest in the 

 matter, doing all in their power to aid us, and practically all of 

 the winter nests were secured and burned, thus exterminating 

 the insects as far as possible, at a slight expense. 



In the month of July, at the season when the insect reaches 

 the adult stage, reports were received from the captain of the 

 navy yard at Portsmouth, N. H., and citizens of Kittery and 

 Eliot, that large numbers of the moths were present at the navy 

 yard and were finding their way into the above named towns. 

 I immediately wrote to persons of authority on the matter, ask- 

 ing if anything could be done at this stage in the life history of 

 the insect to destroy it or check its progress into our State. I 

 was informed that nothing could be done at this time except to 



