6o 



ties occurred) render it exceedingly difficult to control. Trees are 

 often nearly dead before the presence of this insect is realized, and 

 constant vigilance is necessary to guard against this pest. 



If it were possible to reach all the young while they are crawling 

 about or before they produce their covering scales, treatment would 

 be comparatively easy, but as young are constantly appearing from 

 about the middle of June until winter sets in, this is impossible, and 

 materials strong enough to reach and destroy the insects in spite of 

 their protecting scales must be used. The best spray for this pur- 

 pose is the lime-sulfur wash, applied while no leaves are on, but if 

 for any reason this cannot be used, Scalecide one part, water twelve 

 to fourteen parts, sprayed on during the same time, is a fairly good 

 substitute, if very thoroughly applied. This insect and methods for 

 its control have been very fully considered in Bulletin ii6 of this 

 Station. 



THE GYPSY MOTH. 



(^Port/ietn'a tfispai- L.) 



The Gypsy Moth is a native of the Old \A'orld. It reached Massa- 

 chusetts about 1868, and has now spread over the entire eastern 

 portion of the state, and is also found in portions of Rhode Island, 

 Connecticut, New Hampshire and Maine. The eggs are deposited 

 in clusters, mixed with hair from the body of the moth, and are laid 

 during the latter part of July, August and early September. They 

 are placed on the trunks, limbs and sometimes even on the leaves of 

 trees and bushes, and also on stones, rubbish or elsewhere on the 

 ground. The clusters are yellowish brown in color because of the 

 hairs present, and may occupy more than a square inch of space. 



The eggs hatch in the spring and the tiny caterpillars feed on the 

 leaves of different plants, over four hundred kinds of which are 

 known to serve for this purpose. The feeding is mainly at night, 

 the caterpillars hiding more or less during the day. By the middle 

 or end o'f June they have become full grown and are two inches or 

 more in length. They now crawl to some partly protected spot, the 

 underside of a limb being a favorite place, and there they change to 

 pupae, only a few scattered silk threads representing the cocoon. 

 Within the pupa shell the change from the caterpillar to the moth 

 takes place, and when this has been completed the moths appear, 

 most of them being found in July and August. 



