1891.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 4. 61 



the beginning ; they had no guide whatever to go by, and 

 the only thing the commissioners could do was to fight the 

 moths as best they could. When they were discovered in 

 this limited territory to which reference has been made, it 

 was believed by the friends of agriculture and by naturalists 

 that it was possible to stamp them out and save the enor- 

 mous expenditure of money which would be required to keep 

 them in check if they were allowed to spread over the 

 country. 



Now, what I desire to have impressed upon you as mem- 

 bers of the Board of Agriculture and as fanners of Massa- 

 chusetts, is the fact that, although the whole of this $30,000 

 which has been expended has not, perhaps, been spent in the 

 wisest and most judicious way, or as it would have been 

 spent if the commissioners could have been guided in their 

 work by the experience of others, yet, as the chairman of the 

 commission has told you, they have learned a good deal 

 about the habits of these moths, they have prevented their 

 spreading over any more ground, and are now in a position 

 to fight them more effectively next year than they have done 

 this. I hope the sentiment of the community will be made 

 manifest to the Legislature, that we want the campaign con- 

 tinued, and want it continued in the best possible manner. 

 This is a big fight ; it is no holiday affair. If this moth gets 

 away from us, the whole country must suffer. There is 

 nothing gained by attempting to disguise that fact. I spoke 

 of the work of the commission having been experimental. 

 I understand their largest expenditure has been caused by 

 spraying the trees with Paris green. They gathered from 

 the experience of the different experiment stations in the 

 country the fact that Paris green applied in this way had 

 proved effectual in the destruction of all leaf-eating insects 

 upon which it had been tried. It had not been tried upon 

 the gypsy moth ; but they had reason to believe, and they 

 were advised by entomologists, that in all probability the 

 same treatment would kill these caterpillars. Now, there 

 are those who claim that that has not been effectual. There 

 are some who ridicule the idea of spraying with Paris green, 

 and say they do not believe it has done any good. Then 

 there are others who say that after the creature has reached 



