62 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 



practically immune from the gypsy moth when grown in clear 

 stands, for the reason that the very young caterpillars are unable 

 to eat its needles. Hence if there are no deciduous trees present 

 upon which they may feed during earlier stages of existence the 

 pine is unmolested. Had this fact alone been known earlier in 

 the moth suppressive work, great areas of white pine could have 

 been saved. Our present treatment, therefore, with white pine 

 stands is simply to thin out the growth upon which the gypsy moth 

 naturally feeds, such as oak and gray birch, and the stand is there- 

 after self-protecting. 



To work out a policy whereby all of the various conditions and 

 methods could be made to harmonize and still accomplish results 

 has been no small undertaking. The earlier moth work entailed 

 great expense and this in itself rendered it unpopular. The con- 

 stant aim at present is to conduct the work along self-supporting 

 lines as far as possible. In forestry methods of moth control, 

 estimates of costs are made and the forest products practically 

 sold before the operation is begun. The State Forester and his 

 assistants supervise the work, let contracts for the milling, chopping, 

 hauling, etc., but the owner advances the funds for the undertaking. 



During the past three years approximately forty-five thousand 

 cords of wood and between seven and eight million feet of lumber 

 have been operated under this plan. Every time an operation of 

 this sort is properly done it is not only an example of good moth 

 suppressive work, but a beginning of better forestry practice; the 

 territory for future infestation is lessened by just that much, and, 

 best of all, it is self-supporting. Anyone can spend money in this 

 work, but it takes men with experience and ability to break even, 

 or, still better, return a profit to the owner. 



To find a market, or utilization alone, has been a perplexing 

 problem. It has been necessary to actually create a market for 

 our products. The wood-using industries had well established 

 sources of supply and many ingenious plans were attempted before 

 the trade could be interested. Three years ago, under very un- 

 favorable markets, the work was made a success, and since the 

 European War, of course, the only difficulty to surmount is that of 

 getting efficient labor. The demand for forest products is far 

 beyond our ability to supply. 



