278 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



Copy of Statement of 3frs. I. W. Hamlin, corner of Spring and 

 Myrtle Streets, 3Iedford, Mass. 



The gypsy-moth caterpillar became quite prominent in our 

 neighborhood some six years ago. They were at their worst in 

 1889. One day in June my attention was called to some shade 

 trees on Myrtle Street, the trunks of which were literally black 

 with the caterpillars. Our yard was overrun with caterpillars. 

 For six weeks a great deal of our time was devoted to killing these 

 caterpillars and we did not have half as many as people farther 

 down the street. When they got their growth these caterpillars 

 were bigger than your little finger and would crawl very fast. It 

 seemed as if they would go from here to Park Street in half an 

 hour. We would go out in our yard time after time during the day 

 and gather the caterpillars in dishes. Time and again I have 

 stayed out in the yard for two hours at a time catching cater- 

 pillars. But in half an hour afterwards they seemed to be just as 

 thick again. It was a common remark in the house, " Well, it is 

 time to go out and make our rounds again," and then we would 

 sally out with our pans. When the caterpillars were very small 

 we used to kill them with hot water. The big ones we killed by 

 pouring kerosene oil over them and burning them. Our one apple 

 tree was stripped of its leaves for two or three years running. 

 The trees of our next door neighbor, Mr. Randall, suffered very 

 much. The caterpillars got into his evergreens and were so thick 

 that they made them look black. The trees have since died, I 

 do not know whether or not it was owing to the caterpillars. Mr. 

 Randall was on the point of moving to Franklin, but he stayed in 

 Medford two months that summer to fight the moths and save his 

 trees. There were people on Myrtle Street whose geraniums and 

 plants were eaten. Many people took much time to fight the 

 caterpillars and killed a great many. Others would say, " What 

 is the use ? " and would do nothing. We were very glad to be re- 

 lieved of the work by the appointment of the commission. The 

 next spring we found many small ones on our fence, but we killed 

 all that we could before they grew large and so did not suffer 

 from them as in the preceding summer. In some other places, 

 however, thejp were just as bad. Last summer I do not think I 

 saw three caterpillars on our premises. If the State had not done 

 something I think it would have been overrun by now. 



(Signed) Mrs. I. W. Hamlin. 

 Feb. 13, 1893. 



