120 MASSACHUSETTS AGRICULTURE. 



Bartlett, which tallies so exactly with a similar calamity which 

 visited this part of the county about 1797, that I will first 

 copy it : — 



" In the year 1734, a few caterpillars, of a peculiar kind, 

 appeared on the oak trees as soon as the leaves began to grow. 

 In 1735 a much larger number, one hundred to one, were seen, 

 but in this year (1736) the number was astonishing. Almost 

 all the woods in Haverhill and Bradford, (some part of the east 

 end excepted,) the east part of Chester and Andover, many 

 thousand acres of thick woods had their leaves and twigs of this 

 year's growth entirely eaten up — so that the trees were as naked 

 as in the depth of winter. They were larger than common 

 caterpillars, and made no nests. No river or pond could stop 

 them ; they would swim like dogs, and travel in unaccountable 

 armies, and completely cover whole houses and trees. Cart and 

 carriage wheels would be dyed green, from the number they 

 crushed in their progress ! " 



Mr. Richard Kelley, of Amesbury, in his diary, says : " They 

 are larger than the orchard caterpillar, but smooth on the back, 

 with a black streak with white spots." 



I have never seen, in print or manuscript, any account of a 

 very similar calamity which occurred within the memory of the 

 writer. 



About 1797, similar worms began to appear upon the oaks, 

 which so increased in three or four years, that the oak woodlands 

 were cleared of leaves, and the trees made no deeper shade in 

 August than in winter ! The white oaks enjoyed a partial 

 exemption, but the red, black, and yellow oaks were entirely 

 stripped of leaves. When they left the trees, they infested all 

 the buildings which were near oak woods, and I have a pretty 

 distinct recollection that their swimming qualities were then 

 noticed. 



Mr. Kelley's description does not apply exactly to these ; 

 they were mostly black, with a stripe of yellow on each side of 

 the back, and crawled rapidly with many legs. The cart ruts, 

 in a sandy road leading through my father's woodland, gathered 

 them in myriads ; and the crushing them as we carted hay 

 through the woods, is distinctly recollected. 



They disappeared about the third or fourth year, more sud- 

 denly than they came. Tlic trees mostly survived, with many 



