38 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



The invasion of the brown-tail moth into our State has brought 

 very forcibly to our mind the work done in the state of Massa- 

 chusetts in its campaign against the gypsy moth in the ten years 

 from 1890 to 1900, when over a million of dollars was expended 

 by the state besides unknown thousands by cities, towns and 

 private individuals in their attempt to exterminate the pest. 

 Their experience in this line at that time was of incalculable 

 value in our campaign last spring. It was the greatest mistake 

 that Massachusetts ever made when the state appropriation was 

 discontinued and the dreadful pest, which had been reinforced 

 by the brown-tail moth, a no less dreaded companion, were 

 allowed to again overstep their bounds and rapidly spread over 

 the adjacent territory and continue their onward march north, 

 south, east and west. In four short years of uninterrupted 

 freedom save by what restriction the towns were able to place 

 upon them, the gypsy moth covered over four hundred square 

 miles of territory. The brown-tail moth, which is a very strong 

 flyer, had spread south into Rhode Island and Connecticut, north 

 to the White Mountains in New Hampshire and had invaded 

 Maine to quite an extent. • At the beginning of the present year, 

 the people of Massachusetts were so exercised over the situation 

 that active measures were begun to see if something could not 

 be done to exterminate the pests before they got beyond control. 

 Prof. L. O. Howard, entomologist at Washington, investigated 

 the situation and reported that in his judgment it would be 

 impossible to exterminate the pests. The members of the legis- 

 lature were so wrought up over the situation that an act was 

 drawn up and presented to the legislature asking for an appro- 

 priation of six hundred thousand dollars for the purpose of 

 suppressing the brown-tail and gypsy moths in the state. This 

 passed both houses, but the governor asked that it be changed 

 so that the cities and towns where the invasion existed should 

 be taxed for a part of the expense. This was finally done and 

 the appropriation of three hundred thousand dollars was secured, 

 with an additional thirty thousand for experimental purposes 

 in endeavoring to obtain parasites from foreign countries to 

 assist in the extermination. So that now Massachusetts has a 

 new commission and is again active in the campaign against this 

 evil. This should be an object lesson to us in our work against 

 our insect enemies. The inspection of the nurseries in the State 

 has brought to light the great need of the work to be done in 



