No. 4.] THE GYPSY MOTH. 271 



from the original importation liy Mr. Trouvelot in Medford. 

 Each of tliese colonies would gradually increase. The 

 growth and increase of each colony would be slow at first 

 and perhaps unnoticed. Year by year this increasing growth 

 would result, first, in damage at the originally infested 

 centres, and next in a gradual dissemination and extension 

 of the moth. New colonies would be formed and in a few 

 years' time great damage would be done in localities, as in 

 the past. Such damage would continue and increase in spite 

 of the eftbrts of individual citizens to prevent it, as was the 

 case in Medford during the few years before 1890. Then 

 would come the entire defoliation of trees, shrubs and all 

 vegetation, which would result in the destruction of fruit 

 and shade trees, the despoiling of gardens, small fruits and 

 shrubbery. In the meantime the moths would be spreading 

 into the woods. They would be gaining a foothold in public 

 parks, and extending out into towns never before infested. 

 As in the past, this condition of things would grow worse 

 year by year. During the spring and sunmier months 

 trees in our parks and })leasure grounds which are ordi- 

 narily covered and protected by their foliage would be 

 stripped and bare, their trunks and branches a mass of crawl - 

 ing caterpillars. Parks, roadsides, M'oodlands, oichards, 

 gardens, and, in fact, all portions of the infested area 

 where plants or trees grow would be invaded by hosts of 

 voracious caterpillars, which would be spinning down from 

 the trees in great numbers upon passing vehicles and upon 

 the persons of the inhabitants. 



Experience has shown that where these caterpillars be- 

 come numerous they crawl in great numbers upon and into 

 the houses and buildings of all kinds ; in fact, they intrude 

 their disgusting presence everywhere. Wherever they be- 

 come most numerous, so that the foliage disappears and food 

 becomes scarce., the weaker are constantly dying, and the 

 stench from their decaying bodies is nauseating. Such has 

 been the condition where they were most numerous in the 

 past, notwithstanding the most strenuous efforts of indi- 

 viduals to check them. The dissemination of the moth over 

 this and adjoining States would probably not be so rapid as 

 that of some other noxious insects in the past. But experi- 

 ence has shown that it is likely to increase very rapidly 



