94 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



so. When they get into the woods we can get rid of them, 

 even if we have to destroy the trees ; but if they get into the 

 villages we cannot tear the houses down unless the State pays 

 for thorn, and I do not think the State would be willing to 

 pay for them. There is no other way but to hunt for them 

 year after year until we can get them all. 



Mr. Cole. Is there any one kind of tree that the gypsy 

 moth prefers to feed upon rather than any other? I would 

 like also to ask if there is any danger of those gypsy moths 

 that are hatched in bed-rooms and cellars getting enough to 

 eat there to bring them to maturity? 



Mr. Foebush. I do not think there is any danger of 

 their getting food in any of those places, but they seem 

 to feed somewhat on the egg shell or what is left of the egg. 

 The young caterpillars have considerable strength, and they 

 will live some days without food, and if there is any chance 

 to get out they will escape. They will go through any 

 opening and go onto the first plant they come to ; and if 

 they cannot get something they like they will take something 

 they do not care so much for. We have found them in the 

 bottom of boxed fences, where we thought they could not 

 get out ; but when we came around shortly afterwards we 

 found them crawling through little pin holes and getting out 

 and going up trees. Now, in regard to the kind of food that 

 they eat. We have kept them down so that they have not 

 done any damage to amount to anything except in two towns, 

 Arlington and Swampscott, where in two places they did con- 

 siderable damage. We continued our spring inspection until 

 the caterpillars came out, and we followed them until they got 

 quite large, — they must be of some size before most men 

 can see them, — and we found they were eating anything 

 they could find. The gypsy moth is not at all fastidious in 

 its taste. Any kind of tree or plant is good enough for it 

 In those places in Arlington and Swampscott they ate 

 everything. They ate barberry bushes, they ate apple-tree 

 leaves, they ate pine and Norway spruce, and when they got 

 hungry and could not find anything else to eat they would 

 eat grass. So that you see we have here an insect that is 

 more dangerous tnan the tent caterpillar or the canker worm, 

 which usually attack only one or two species of trees. You 



