274 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



not banded. As these trees were at a distance from fences and build- 

 ings, the moths did not return to their former hiding places, but passed 

 through their transformations and laid their eggs on or near the unhanded 

 trees, where they were easily found and destroyed. The advantages 

 gained by this method are obvious. 



Two spraying teams were used in 1892, in place of thirty teams used 

 in 1891, and these but for a short time. These teams were sent from 

 place to place to spray the trees wherever the caterpillars appeared in 

 numbers, and thereby diminish the number and lessen the danger of 

 dissemination. 



"WHien the eggs had hatched it was seen that the caterpillars were 

 sparsely distributed in the worst infested territory, and that there were 

 few where last year there had been many. In the peripheral districts 

 there were many formerly infested localities Avhere none appeared, and 

 very few were found in most towns that were near the border of the 

 infested region. 



The habits of the caterpillar are such that the method of banding the 

 trees with burlap appears the most effective one yet devised to dispose 

 of this form of the moth. The burlap offers them a convenient shelter, 

 and if it is put on all infested trees, and frequently examined, many 

 caterpillars will be caught that would otherwise escape notice. One 

 hundred and fifty thousand yards of this material were purcha.sed. It 

 was cut into strips and applied to the trees in infested localities. It is 

 necessary to examine the burlap bands once each day, or at least once 

 in two days, to be sure of secviring all the caterpillars which gather 

 beneath them. The number of men employed at (hat time was not 

 suiRcient to properly inspect the bands, and, owing to the limited 

 amount of money at our disposal at that time, we were unable to em- 

 ploy more men. Notwithstanding this disadvantage, burlapping and 

 hand-killing disposed of nine-tenths of the gypsy moths in the infested 

 region during the summer, and in many localities they were extermi- 

 nated by this work alone. 



Tlie Fall Inspection. 



The time when the eggs of the gypsy moth can be destroyed with the 

 utmost cei'tainty of extermination is in (he late summer and early fall, 

 as soon as possible after they are deposited. If they are not disposed of 

 at this time, some of the egg clusters may be broken and the eggs scat- 

 tered by men, animals or the elements. When thus scattered they are 

 likely to be overlooked by the searchers, and left to hatch. The eggs 

 were destroyed in connection with the burlapping in the late summer 



