270 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



Sometimes they were made available when needed, at 

 others granted after long and expensive delays and conse- 

 quent loss of working time. In spite of all these difficulties, 

 the work went steadily forward toward the desired end, 

 until in January, 1900, this committee was able to report : 

 "From the results of the past two years it is evident that 

 the work against the gypsy moth in Massachusetts is already 

 approaching its final stages. The large colonies have been 

 practically wiped out ; many of the smaller colonies have 

 been exterminated or are thoroughly under control, and need 

 but two or three seasons' work to secure their absolute 

 extermination. Three years ago there were many localities 

 in the infested district where there were large masses of egg 

 clusters. To-day the infestation of the region consists of 

 the scattered remains of former colonies and their offshoots, 

 which must be subjected to careful and continual examina- 

 tion and treatment for a series of years." 



The work of the committee was made the subject of a 

 protracted investigation on the part of a special legislative 

 committee in the early months of 1900, and after several 

 examinations of the infested district they too reported : 

 "There are to-day, so far as known, no large colonies." 



It has been fully demonstrated that this statement was a 

 fair and temperate representation of the facts of the case. 

 The gypsy moth committee was not mistaken or misin- 

 formed. The expert entomologists Avho had investigated and 

 commended the work had not been misled. The testimony 

 of hundreds of grateful citizens whose property had been 

 freed from the pest was correct. The moth was under con- 

 trol. That no alarming outbreaks occurred in 1900 showed 

 most convincingly that there were no important colonies in 

 existence at that time. But the increase of the moth waits 

 not on the bidding of man. It knows no law but the law 

 of nature. The few scattering egg clusters remaining in 

 the spring of 1900 had increased to formidable numbers 

 in the fall of 1901, and the presence and probable danger 

 from the latter were duly reported by this committee : 

 ' ' From the general and increasing infestation of the entire 

 district, we are led to fear that soon, unless preventive 



