No. 4.] THE GYPSY MOTH. 419 



In accordance with an act of Congress, Dr. Howard again 

 in the fall of 1898 made an investigation, to determine the 

 progress of the work since 1897. That what was seen dur- 

 ing his last visit has confirmed his conclusions drawn from 

 the extended inspection of 1897, may be judged by reference 

 to the report of Prof. C. H. Fernald, the entomologist, which 

 follows this report. 



In order that the Legislature may fully comprehend the 

 difficulties under which your committee has labored, it be- 

 comes necessary here briefly to refer to the unsatisfactory 

 conditions under which the work has been conducted for the 

 last five years. 



In the report on the work for the year 1892, published in 

 January, 1893, your committee estimated that there were 

 then about four hundred acres of woodland infested, and 

 suggested that, at a cost of $50,000, it might be cut down 

 and burned, thus eliminating this factor from the problem. 

 Although in the same report the committee stated that it 

 was believed that with sufficient means and in several years' 

 time these forest lands could be cleared of the moth without 

 destroying the timber, the mere suggestion of its destruc- 

 tion caused much opposition on the part of the public, which 

 apparently helped to reduce that year the size of the appro- 

 priation. The appropriation asked for ($165,000) was cut 

 down to $100,000, consequently very little could be done 

 in protecting these woodlands, and the moths therein con- 

 tinued to spread. Had the sum then estimated by the com- 

 mittee been granted, the spread which has since occurred 

 would have been prevented. 



A year later (1894) the committee reported that there 

 were twelve thousand acres of woodland, containing five 

 million trees, in the infested region which were in immediate 

 danger of becoming infested, and again recommend an ap- 

 propriation of $165,000. The committee also called atten- 

 tion to the fact that small areas here and there in this 

 woodland were known to be infested, and emphasized the 

 necessity of appropriating sufficient money to attend to the 

 woodland problem at once. But the appropriation was 

 again cut down to $100,000, and, in spite of all that could 

 be done with this limited amount, the moths continued to 

 spread in these woodlands. 



