246 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



tremely abundant in several nurseries, fairl)^ so in several 

 others, and is liable to occur in twenty-one nurseries in all. 

 During the inspection last fall it was so abundant in one or 

 two nurseries that a thorough cleaning out seemed to be 

 almost impossible. For example, one small spruce tree less 

 than four feet tall had sixteen egg masses on it, and the 

 branches were so thick that several of the egg masses were 

 missed at the first examination. Under such conditions as 

 these, it is certain that at some time in the near future an egg 

 mass will be overlooked and this pest be sent out on stock, 

 unless fumigation of all stock in nurseries Avliere the gypsy 

 moth is found be made compulsory. This the nursery in- 

 spector has not thus far recjuired, as it would certainly work 

 some hardship in certain cases, and possibly might be diffi- 

 cult to enforce. 



The brown-tail moth is almost as dangerous a pest as the 

 gypsy moth, is present in many more of the nurseries, and 

 during the earlier part of the inspection season is harder to 

 find. After the leaves have fallen its tents are easily seen, 

 but this is after the shipping season has begun and the in- 

 spection work for the year completed. As the caterpillars 

 leave their tents to feed for a time after making them, there 

 is no certainty that removal of the tents found by the in- 

 spectors will remove all the caterpillars, and there can be no 

 certainty even that all the tents were found. The brown- 

 tail moth has this year been found in nurseries in Lunen- 

 burg on the north-west, Clinton on the west and Whitman 

 on the south. It is almost certain to be found each year in 

 thirty-five nurseries, and is liable to be met with in forty- 

 three others at any time. Under such inspection conditions 

 as now exist, this pest, too, will sooner or later be sent out 

 on nursery stock, in spite of all the efibrts of the inspectors. 



These are facts which must ])e met and squarely faced. 

 The gypsy and brown- tail moths, in spite of the best work 

 of which inspectors are capable, will sooner or later be car- 

 ried to uninfested localities in this State or elsewhere on cer- 

 tificated nursery stock ; and when other States realize this, 

 it is quite probable that no Massachusetts stock will be per- 

 mitted to enter those States, thus excluding us from a large 



