No. 4.] REPORT OF STATE FORESTER. 2S3 



ment and machinery, together with natural and imported enemies 

 and a more intimate knowledge of their workings, have all helped 

 just so much. We need, therefore, combined co-operation to get 

 the efficiency desired. 



There is little question but that much of our work in the past, 

 although effective, nevertheless has been altogether too expen- 

 sive. The old idea of tearing down and burning out stone walls 

 to destroy egg clusters appealed to some as effective, and it was, 

 but to-day it is entirely abandoned. A few years ago burlap was 

 used by hundreds of bales, and nearly every tree had a petticoat; 

 but during the past season the ones seen were largely those hang- 

 ing on from previous years, rather than new ones, other methods 

 having proved better and taken their place. 



To come to real fundamentals, our purpose in fighting the moths 

 is to save our trees. We value our trees for two purposes — 

 first, their aesthetic value for ornamental shade and beauty; and 

 second, their economic value, as lumber and other forest products. 



To get the best results with trees it is necessary to comprehend 

 their wants in a very broad way. Adaptation of soils, proper 

 distance apart for development, protection from forest fires in 

 the country and leaky gas pipes and pavements in the cities, 

 fungous diseases, insects, etc., must all be considered, each in 

 its proper time and place. 



In order, therefore, to combat any one of the above conditions 

 or depredations the case as a whole first needs diagnosing. Now, 

 if the brown-tail moth is the greatest factor to contend with the 

 simplest solution is to grow evergreens, eliminating the hard- 

 woods, as the brown-tail never touches evergreens. There are 

 whole forests of evergreens alone in Europe. In the case of the 

 gypsy moth it also so happens that where there are clear stands 

 of evergreens this insect is little to be feared. It is for this reason 

 that on the North Shore, for example, it will be seen that the 

 oaks, which this insect adores, and other hardwoods are cut out, 

 and the evergreens, like pine and hemlock, are retained and 

 encouraged. 



Without going further into detail, the point I desire to make 

 is that a trained forester can and will, through his knowledge of 

 the difficulties likely to be encountered with the gypsy and brown- 

 tail moths, select his species and prepare and handle his wood 



