74 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



for the purpose, better than the ink. His neighbors, generally, 

 had protected their trees in various ways, but one who has an un- 

 protected orchard adjoining his grounds, has great trouble. Many 

 orchards that would bear hundreds or thousands of bushels are 

 now unproductive bj^ reason of these canker worms, and many 

 . trees in Arlington have had their foliage entirelj' destro^'ed by 

 caterpillars. Mr. Flint thought there would be no objection to 

 requiring by law that owners of trees should destroy the insects 

 infesting them, for the cost would be small and the returns large. 



John B. Moore, being called on by the president as a member of 

 the legislature and a man of practical experience in orchard culture, 

 said that he heartily agreed with all that had been said in favor of 

 destroying noxious insects, but doubted the power of the legislature 

 to pass such a law as was proposed, and did not believe it would 

 be effectual if passed. He did not think it would be practicable 

 to require surveyors of highways to destroy noxious weeds at the 

 expense of the owners of adjoining lands. Mr. Moore wished it 

 understood that he mows all his roadsides, but did not believe in 

 compelling people to do it. The town of Concord, where he lives, 

 is perhaps half covered with wood, all through which are thousands 

 of wild cherry trees, large and small, which in spring are covered 

 with caterpillars, but it would be impossible to compel owners, 

 especially non-residents, to destroy them. He agreed with pre- 

 vious speakers with regard to the necessity of destroying them, 

 but it must be done through farmers' clubs and horticultural so- 

 cieties, educating the people to do it. 



Mr. Rand agreed with Mr. Moore that it would be difficult to 

 get such a law through the legislature, but thought the experiment 

 worth trying. 



President Strong remarked that other towns might be differently 

 situated in this respect from Concord, and that the proposed law 

 would be in force only in such towns as adopted it. 



Mr. Moore said he did not believe in " local ojition " either for 

 liquor or insect laws ; he thought the laws should be the same in 

 Concord, as in Newton or Brighton. 



Mr. Rand said that he did believe in " local option." 



D. W. Lothrop quoted the remark of Mr. Emerson, in the 

 " Trees and Shrubs of Massachusetts," that the wild cherry being, 

 more than almost any other fruit tree, subject to the ravages of 

 caterpillars, might be a protection to cultivated trees by inviting 



