72 EXPERIMENT STATION. [Jan. 



least fifty gangs of men and joower pnmps. Then, too, it must 

 be remembered that the boundaries of Massachusetts are not 

 impassible to these insects, and the work would have to be done 

 every year. In other words, State treatment would mean an 

 annual tax of about half a million dollars for this purpose, or 

 else work of no lasting value and a waste of money. 



The oyster-shell scale (Lepidosaphes ulmi L.) and several 

 others of our common scale insects have been the cause of some 

 correspondence, but nothing new has developed about them. 

 The San Jose scale {Aspidiotus perniciosus Coins.) is becoming 

 more abundant in orchards and on ornamental shrubs and trees, 

 and in some cases may be found in wooded areas. The desire 

 for legislation has included this pest also, but there is little 

 chance of any law being passed which will accomplish much 

 against it. In the end, those persons who will treat their trees 

 will save them, while those who do not will lose them, and the 

 burden will fall where it should, upon those who neglect their 

 liro])crty. 



The past spring was unusually favorable for the rapid in- 

 crease of plant lice, and many kinds of them were extremely 

 abundant. On the other hand, the cranberry fruit worm was 

 very markedly less abundant than usual, losses by the attacks 

 of this insect being much smaller than for several years. 



The leopard moth (Zeuzcra pyrina L.) has increased in the 

 region around Boston and is another menace to our shade trees. 

 The gypsy moth (Porthetria dispar L.) has also increased, and, 

 in spite of a disease which attacked the caterpillars in many 

 places, killing large numbers of them, there is no question that 

 the general condition of eastern Massachusetts as regards this 

 insect is worse than ever before. 



The brown-tail moth {Euprodis chnjsorrlioea L.) is spreading 

 in the State, and nests have now been found as far west as 

 Brookficld and Bclehertown. It is only a question of a few 

 years when the w^hole northeastern United States will be in- 

 fested by this insect, in spite of all the laws and repressive meas- 

 ures which have been adopted against it. 



The twelve-spotted asparagus beetle (Crioceris 12-punclata 

 L.) has now been taken in Massachusetts. It was found fairly 

 abundant at Concord and at Iloslindale last summer, but has 



