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which was granted by an act approved April 2. The com- 

 mission employed more than one hundred men during the 

 season for work, spraying a large territory with Paris green 

 and killing an immense number of caterpillars. They also 

 destroyed an incredible number of the eggs of the moth both 

 in the spring of 1890 before the caterpillars emerged and 

 in the fall after the eggs for the next year's crop were 

 laid. The amount expended in 1890 was $25,539.32. On 

 March 4, 1891, Wm. R. Sessions of Hampden, Prof. N. S. 

 Shaler of Cambridge and F. H. Appleton of Lynnfield were 

 appointed commissioners and immediately organized a force 

 for work, engaging E. H. Forbush of Worcester as director 

 of field work. The first work was an attempt to locate the 

 entire territory infested. This was done by parties of youDg 

 men who searched the country for miles around Medford, 

 using powerful opera-glasses to aid in discovering the nests of 

 eggs. Only reliable men could be of use, and the com- 

 missioners and director found it almost impossible to secure 

 the requisite number. A squad of ten or more from the 

 Agricultural College have been exceedingly helpful, and 

 most of them have been made superintendents of work. By 

 an act approved April 17 the Legislature transferred the 

 work to the Board of Agriculture, and the Board, at a 

 special meeting April 28, appointed Wm. R. Sessions, N. S. 

 Shaler and F. H. Appleton a committee to act for the Board. 

 It was found that the residue of last year's appropriation 

 would be insufficient to carry on the work for the season, 

 and the Board petitioned the Legislature for an additional 

 appropriation of $50,000, which was granted by an act 

 approved June 10. The work of extermination is now going 

 on, and about 250 men are employed. The work at this 

 season is spraying the trees and shrubbery throughout the 

 infested territory with Paris green and water, one pound of 

 Paris green to 150 gallons of water. The country in all 

 directions is patrolled by expert scouts on the lookout for 

 stray colonies of the creatures, that new centres of infection 

 may not be established. Prof. C. H. Fernald, entomologist 

 to the Board of Agriculture and professor of zoiilogy at the 

 Agricultural College, is the adviser of the committee in all 

 parts of the work. The task is almost herculean but it is 



