To the Massachusetts State Board of Agriculture. 



In accordance with the provisions of law, the gypsy moth 

 committee of the State Board of Agriculture presents the 

 report of expenditures and work performed in the endeavor 

 *'to prevent the spreading and to secure the extermination 

 of the Ocneria clispar, or gypsy moth, in this Common- 

 wealth." 



The presence of this insect pest was first brought to public 

 notice in June, 18<S9. The Legislature of 1890 authorized 

 the Governor to appoint a commission to take the matter in 

 charge and appropriated $25,000 to carry on the work. Sub- 

 sequently the same Legislature made an additional appro- 

 priation of the same amount. A commission was appointed 

 and carried on the work until Feb. 15, 1891, when it was 

 superseded by a new commission consisting of the Secretary 

 and two members of the State Board of Agriculture. This 

 commission commenced operations in March, 1891. An act 

 of the Legislature approved April 17, 1891, transferred the 

 work and all unexpended funds in the hands of the commis- 

 sion to the State Board of Agriculture, authorizing said 

 Board to ' ' exercise all the duties and powers " thus con- 

 ferred upon it " by and through its Secretary and such mem- 

 bers of said Board as it may designate and appoint " for the 

 purpose. There remained of the amount appropriated for 

 the work in 1890 nearly $25,000, and the Legislature of 1891 

 appropriated $50,000 in addition to this sum. 



The task ffiven the Board of Ao-riculture by the Leoislature 

 was to prevent the spreading and to secure the extermi- 

 nation of the gypsy moth. At that time the moth was 

 supposed to be confined to Medford, Maiden, Arlington, 

 Everett and Chelsea, with the exception of a few colonies 

 in North Cambridge and Somerville, one in Winchester and 

 one in Belmont. With funds available amountinof to about 

 $75,000, the task of determining the boundaries of the 

 region occupied l)y the moth Avas begun. Beginning at 



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