xxxvi BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



Mr. Forbush has this year refused a very attractive offer 

 to go to Washington on a salary commensurate with his serv- 

 ices, but has decided to remain in Massachusetts. At pres- 

 ent he is receiving only a very small salary, and it would 

 seem to your secretary, in view of what he has given to the 

 State in the past, and hopes to give in the future, that his 

 salary should be increased to at least $2,000. I therefore 

 recommend that this increase be granted. 



The State Foeestee. 



Under the direction of State Forester Raue the work of 

 destroying and keeping in check the gypsy and brown-tail 

 moths is going on with a fair degi'ee of success, but the mag- 

 nitude of this problem cannot be realized unless we consider 

 the large area over which these pests have already spread. 

 This department is working with the United States Depart- 

 ment, who are attempting to keep the infestation confined 

 to 'New England, but it is apparently an uphill fight, and the 

 moths will sooner or later spread to other States unless in 

 the meantime some parasite or disease is found to control 

 them. As a rule, the cities and towns of eastern Massachu- 

 setts were kept quite free from serious inroads of the pests 

 this season, but many tracts of woodland were badly 

 stripped. 



The work of reforestation is going on wherever land is 

 acquired. Forest fires are being controlled to a gTeater de- 

 gree, and in co-operation with to^vns and cities the forester 

 is trying to work up a sentiment toward town and municipal 

 forests. The Massachusetts Forestry Association is much in 

 favor of a plan for State forests, and this together with the 

 State Forester's plans ought to work out satisfactorily, so 

 that land which is worthless for agriculture might be used 

 for State forests. 



Wasted Ageicultueal Resoueces. 

 One thing which Massachusetts has to contend with, and 

 which should be brought to the attention of all of us, is that 

 much of her best agricultural land is now in the hands of 



