No. 4.] WORK OF GYPSY MOTH COMMITTEE. 247 



A corps of experts must be organized, whose duty it shall 

 be to go over the work of the inspectors as often as possible, 

 to detect carelessness or inefficiency. Such a number of 

 foremen or superintendents must be provided as is found 

 necessary to keep the entire field under constant supervision. 

 If means enough are provided for this, and the work is prop- 

 erly conducted, the extermination of the gypsy moth is as 

 certain as anything is in this life. Had we been provided 

 with the means, we could have annihilated the insects in ten 

 towns this year ; the best we can now hope for is to accom- 

 plish this in the coming season. AVhen that is done, the 

 men at work in such towns .should not be discharged, but 

 should be concentrated in the centre, where it will take years 

 to exterminate the last moth. Do not be deceived. No 

 amount of money that the State can furnish will rid us of 

 this creature in one year, or two ; but its extermination is 

 possible, and can be accomplished. 



We have educated the men, we have invented the appli- 

 ances, and we have the maps and records. We have advanced 

 so far on the road to success that the contrast between the 

 present condition and that of two years ago is surprising. 

 We have the pest well in hand, and we need only the sinews 

 of war to crush it. 



At the conclusion of his paper, Mr. Forbush exhibited a 

 specimen of the gypsy moth, and also photographs of its 

 ravages. 



The Chairman. Has any gentleman any question to ask 

 Mr. Forbush? 



Question. I would like to ask him how wide this belt 

 is, and whether it is more than one thickness, and how he 

 fastens it around. 



Mr. Forbush. I understand you to mean the belt of 

 burlap. We cut it about one foot wide, place it around the 

 tree, then put a piece of twine round it, and turn down the 

 upper end so it will hang down something like the clothes 

 on a clothes line. 



Question. What time is it put on? 



Mr. Forbush. We put the burlap on for these creatures 

 in May and June. The use of this burlap is nothing 



