304 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



work was continued until the leaves fell from the trees. In 

 December most of the men were sent into the towns and cities 

 beyond the known infested district, there to continue the inspec- 

 tion, which had been interrupted in the spring by the growing 

 leaves. Eighteen of these towns and three cities have been 

 examined. A few scattered egg-clusters have been found in the 

 three cities and in four of the towns. In these cases there is posi- 

 tive' evidence that the moth has been resident two or three seasons. 

 This is a significant fact. It leads us to infer that the work done 

 in the centre has prevented further spreading during the present 

 season. 



Condition of the Infested Territory. 



The condition of the infested territory in the spring of 1891 was 

 found, by a hasty inspection, to be as follows : In the central part 

 of the town of Medford, on both sides of the Mystic River, the 

 eggs of the gypsy moth were distributed in great numbers over 

 large areas. In the strips of intervening ground there were com- 

 paratively few. Perhaps the two most densely infested localities 

 were the Glenwood district, into which the moth was first imported, 

 and the most thickly settled portion on the south side of the Mystic 

 River. The Edgeworth district in Maiden was overrun, and on 

 all the roads leading from these districts in Maiden and Medford, 

 there were colonies of the pest. In Everett, which adjoins both of 

 these towns, they were widely scattered, and only here and there 

 were they numerous enough to seriously thi'eaten vegetation. The 

 centres of population in all the towns surrounding Maiden and 

 Medford were badly infested. From these centres the moths had 

 been distributed upon the highways, and a few were found scat- 

 tered in the next series of towns to the east, north and west. Thus, 

 while Somerville, Arlington, Winchester, Stoneham, Melrose, 

 Saugus, Revere and Chelsea, which lie nearest to Maiden, Med 

 ford and Everett, were all considerably infested, Cambridge, Bel- 

 mont, Lexington, Woburn, Wakefield, Lynn and Swampscott, 

 contained as a rule only scattered aud isolated colonies. Some 

 exceptions to this rule may be noted. There was one seriously 

 infested locality in Arlington, near Lexington. There was one in 

 North Cambridge, which contained as many eggs to the square 

 foot as any in Maiden or Medford. But the most peculiar instance 

 of a large colony at a distance from the centre was in Swampscott. 

 During the spring inspection isolated nests were found in Charles- 

 town and Lynnfield. This inspection was continued until the 

 foliage became so dense that the search for eggs on the trees was 

 necessarily abandoned, aud the spraying was begun. 



