No. 4.] REPORT OF STATE FORESTER. 247 



work which the State has financed up to the present, and also 

 assume the work of controlHng the spread of the moth, then our 

 State work will resolve itself down to internal self-preservation in 

 the present infested territory. With this arrangement, I believe 

 the State ought to combat the enemies satisfactorily with de- 

 creasing expenditures. Many cities and towns once badly in- 

 fested are at present, through State aid, in good condition, and 

 now should become self-supporting, and it is the department's 

 purpose to so direct the work that the annual drain upon the 

 State treasury may be lessened as much as possible. 



Massachusetts has been the motive force in combating these 

 pests up to the present. In recent years the insects have spread 

 into adjoining States, where little attention to their control has 

 been given, so that now the problem is one of protecting the nation. 



It is believed that the national government can ill afford to 

 take other than a more progressive stand in this work. A million 

 dollars a year at present will go farther than a much greater sum 

 later on. It is reasonable to hope that parasites, diseases or natural 

 causes may work to the detriment of these insects, but there are 

 many chances of other sections of the country becoming infested 

 and thereby working great destruction before results from these 

 are realized. At present the only practical means of protection 

 from the spread of this pest is through spraying and other well- 

 known mechanical methods. 



The various phases of the State Forester's activities are given 

 more fully under their respective classifications in this report. 



Organization. 



There have been a number of changes during the year, but the 

 department is fortunate in having intact the same general staff 

 of assistants as last year. 



]\Ir. A. T. Speare, moth disease w^ork, resigned, and Mr. R. M. 

 Colley of Harvard University has succeeded him. Mr, William 

 Reiff, assistant to Professor Wheeler of the Bussey Institute, and 

 who has given the moth disease work part time, has arranged to 

 give the department his whole time for a season. Mr. Charles 

 W. Minot and Mr. Frank A. Bates, who have been connected 

 with the State work for many years as agents, now known as dis- 

 trict superintendents, have resigned. 



