RECENT TROUBLES WITH OUR FOREST TREES 61 



more economically. Herein lies a point to be emphasized, namely, 

 forest utilization in connection with depredations. The chief 

 purpose of the forester is to bring order and system out of chaos 

 and meanwhile to determine ways and means of reducing our 

 methods to scientific and economic practice. Upon studying the 

 moth situation from the broad standpoint of future results when 

 applied to forest conditions, the correct method of procedure was 

 self-evident. As already indicated, it was an advantage to thin 

 the forests for better spraying, and this practice naturally fell to 

 the trained forester. 



As soon as- modern forestry practices were applied and sylvicul- 

 tural studies made, better results followed. It was soon demon- 

 strated that certain trees were the natural food of the moth, while 

 others were to a greater or lesser extent immune from their attack 

 and particularly so when in so-called clear stands or in mixtures 

 with other species equally undesirable as moth food. 



Taking advantage of these fundamentals and encouraged by 

 actual results from the field experience, the so-called forestry 

 methods of moth control have rapidly come to the front. During 

 the past few years the State Forester has executed some large forest 

 operations which have not only proven satisfactory in handling the 

 moths, but from the economic standpoint have aided in establish- 

 ing better forestry practices. The result of moth infestation in 

 woodlands was to throw upon the market an oversupply of dead and 

 dying forest products. 



The forests of Eastern Massachusetts are the remains of a 

 culled-out and cut-over country which has restocked itself witljout 

 regulation or control. All sorts of forest types, species, mixtures, 

 ages, and conditions are found. When the moths invade these 

 woodlands they reacHly find enough of such species as they prefer 

 to live upon until they are fairly grown and then, if compelled to 

 do so, they finish their feeding period on whatever remains for 

 them to devour. 



Taking advantage of this fact we have inaugurated the practice 

 of taking out those species upon which the insects thrive best, 

 their so-called natural food trees, with the result that the condi- 

 tions are unhealthy for their propagation. The evergreens, the 

 white pine in particular, one of our most valued species, we find is 



