REMOVING E,; t ; MASSES OF THE TUSSOJK MOTH CATERPILLAR. 



CHILDREN WAGE WAR 



THE sad ravages of the Tussock 

 moth caterpillar in New Eng- 

 land were apparent to all those 

 who lived or passed through 

 that section of country last summer. 

 Whole orchards of fruit trees as well 

 as the trees and shrubs by the wayside 

 were defoliated and left looking as if 

 a fire had passed over them. Especially 

 in the town of Stockbridge, Massa- 

 chusetts, the havoc wrought by this pest 

 was most complete and destructive. 



This so stirred the hearts of the 

 people there, that they determined to 

 attempt some "preventive treatment" 

 for this spring, and so they arranged to 

 enlist the school children in the work. 

 Accordingly, three organizations the 

 Laurel Hill Association, the Town 

 Club and the Grange clubbed together 

 and offered prizes to the schools which 

 would bring in the largest number of 



egg masses. 



They were to be taken 

 to the teachers, who would count and 

 then burn them. Only the grade 

 schools could compete, and the price to 

 be paid was fifty cents per thousand 

 "masses." This money, as well as the 

 prizes, was given to the school as a body 

 rnd not to the individual children. The 

 first prize was $10.00, and the second 

 prize was $5.00. Incidentally, it shows 

 (he public spirit of the children that 

 they were so interested, worked so 

 hard, and accomplished so much simply 

 for the good of the town and not for 

 their own pockets. The official report 

 of the result of this enterprise has jusr 

 been presented, and the first prize 

 was won by the Interlaken Grammar 

 School and the second prize by the In- 

 terlaken Primary School. The total 

 cost of the campaign was $98.00, and 

 I ^.719 egg masses were destroyed. 



415 



