222 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



dollars would be necessary merely to suppress the pest, without 

 reference to its extermination. 



Saugus. 



1899. — The residential district of Saugus occupies but a rela- 

 tively small area, as compared to the woodland districts in the 

 northern and western parts of the town. Throughout this wood- 

 land area moth colonies were known to exist as early as 1894. 

 A scouting of Saugus made in the late 90's revealed a consider- 

 able' number of large woodland colonies. This woodland being 

 of scrub growth and of little value to the owners, it was possible 

 to employ here the more heroic methods of cutting and burning 

 on a large scale. At the close of 1899_ many of the colonies 

 were considered to be free from the moth, while in others but 

 few Qg,^ clusters could be found. 



1904. — While the moth has not again appeared in several of 

 the old colonies which were wiped out previous to 1899, in a 

 number of the woodland colonies the insects have multiplied to 

 as great an extent as at Medford or Maiden. Blocks of wood- 

 land, containing in some cases fifty acres or more, were com- 

 pletely stripped. The woodland along the electric road leading 

 from Saugus to Wakefield was defoliated, while in the western 

 part of the town, near the Melrose and Maiden lines, large 

 areas of woodland were strijjped by the caterpillars. From these 

 woodland colonies the residential sections have now become 

 badly infested, and much harm and annoyance was wrought 

 there by the caterpillars in the past season. 



Winchester . 



1899. — Previous to 1899 there had existed in this town a 

 number of important woodland colonies, which had received 

 the careful attention of the employees of the Board, with the 

 result that many of them were practically suppressed. A small 

 colony in the southern part of the town showed about one-half 

 an acre stripped by the moth, this being one of the most im- 

 portant infestations of the year. By vigorous use of the burlap 

 tlie residential section had been rendered nearly free from the 

 moth. 



1904. — Several of the woodland colonies in the western part 

 of the town are now grown to formidable size, and many acres 

 were defoliated the past year. The woodland colony in the 

 southern part of the town, })reviously referred to, has increased 



