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To the Massachusetts State Board of Agriculture. 



Your committee, in charge of the work to prevent the 

 .spreading and secure the extermination of the gypsy moth 

 in this Commonwealth, herewith presents the report of ex- 

 penditures and of the work as carried on during the year 

 1898. 



As the appropriation for 1897 had been insufficient for 

 the year's work, the force of men had to be greatly reduced 

 during the latter part of December, 1897, and on Jan. 1, 

 1898, only 159 experienced men were at work. The bal- 

 ance of the appropriation of 1897 on hand Jan. 1, 1898, 

 was $2,298.94. The indebtedness incurred for labor in 

 December, together with other unpaid bills, was nearly 

 sufficient to use up this balance ; so that, notwithstanding 

 the reduction of the force, the appropriation for 1897 was 

 practically exhausted by that year's work. 



During the month of January, until the pleasure of the 

 General Court can be made known, the law empowers the 

 committee to continue expenditures at the average monthly 

 rate of the preceding year. The force was increased ac- 

 cordingly to 200 men, but on February 1, the Legislature 

 having made no provision for carrying on the work, the 

 committee was forced to discontinue it. 



An emergency appropriation of $20,000 was made in 

 February, and the men were again put at work ; but, the 

 expenditures which the law had empowered the committee 

 to make during the month of January having to be deducted 

 from this sum, there was left only $11,087.09 of the emer- 

 gency appropriation. This was soon exhausted, and, as the 

 Legislature had not yet decided upon the amount of the 

 annual appropriation, the force was again necessarily laid 

 off. 



