No. 4.] THE GYPSY MOTH. 285 



2. Many parasites have been found upon them. These are given 

 in detail in the report of the entomologist which follows this report. 



3. A scarcity' of male moths found, as comj^ared with the number of 

 females, has been observed this year in the region which was badly 

 infested last year, and where the agents of the Board have done the 

 most work, 



4. The number of egg clusters in the infested region has been 

 reduced at least ninety-nine jjer cent, in less than two years' time, and 

 in over three hundred localities the moths have been exterminated. 



Why More Money is needed. 

 The question which at once occurs is this : If so much has been 

 accomplished by local extermination with the means provided, why 

 ask for a larger sum to continue this work ? This question is easily 

 answered, if we remember that the growth and spread of an insect 

 pest is analogous to that of a conflagration, and that it is safer and 

 less expensive in the end to concentrate all the force possible upon 

 it, that it may be subdued at once? "\^lien that is done, the only safe 

 plan is to keep a large force of Avatchmen ready to find, attack and extin- 

 guish the fire wherever smouldering embers break out into flame, and 

 to watch for all sparks in the neighborhood and extinguish them. 

 In this case wherever fertile eggs are left there is always danger of 

 another outbreak. In the past we have been obliged by lack of means 

 to neglect a large part of the region at cei'tain seasons of the year, and 

 much work has been left unfinished as other work became more press- 

 ing ; therefore the moth has been allowed to increase in some localities 

 where it should have been held in check, and it has been allowed to 

 remain in others where it mig-ht have been exterminated. 



o 



Plans for Future Work. 

 There is but one plan which jjromises extermination, and that is to 

 keep the whole region under constant inspection and to make occasional 

 inspections of the towns in its vicinity. To accomj^lish this we require : — 



1. An adequate number of trustworthy, intelligent, persevering and 

 industrious men, with good eyesight and otherwise fitted by nature for 

 the work. I twill take at least a year's time to secure such a force of 

 men, and to so instruct and train them as to bring them to a state of the 

 highest efliciency. 



2. For a time a large force of inexperienced men can be employed 

 to advantage in putting on insect lime, burlapping, cementing cavities 

 in trees, and cutting and burning!" underbrush. 



3. The present small force of expert men, and such others as can 



