322 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



property is worth more and people are willing to expend more 

 money to protect it; but when the moths spread out into the 

 back wood lands, much of which is of extremely indifferent 

 growth and in many instances comparatively worthless, the 

 problem is quite different. The State law which gives protection 

 in residential sections, requiring all property owners to pay in 

 proportion to their valuation, ceases to be very effective when 

 applied to cheap w^ood lands. 



The problem of caring for residential conditions has been solved, 

 and it is no more a perplexing question, for only in those cities 

 and towns that are naturally nonprogressive in all their business 

 relations is there likely to be any trouble. The purely country 

 problem, however, is perplexing, and demands much more con- 

 sideration. It has been the aim of the State Forester, therefore, 

 to make the older sections, that have received assistance from 

 the State for some time, assume the responsibility of self-support 

 as rapidly as possible, so that the State's appropriation may be 

 used where it is more needed, in the rural sections. In last year's 

 report a brief account was published, so that no town could have 

 an excuse for not knowing its conditions. 



We have finally prevailed upon the federal government to 

 assume the parasitic work, to which Massachusetts has contributed 

 $15,000 a year until this season, and at present the government is 

 preparing to establish a belt or picket line (see accompanying 

 map) along our outer border of infestation, with the purpose of 

 preventing the insects from spreading further. Hereafter every- 

 thing beyond this border will be government work. This plan 

 was advocated by the State Forester three years ago, and it is 

 believed that now, with a more definite policy, the outlook is 

 very bright for future work. This arrangement gives Massachu- 

 setts a definite work to perform, namely, to improve her internal 

 conditions. 



The infestation of the gypsy moth is not as great as we approach 

 the government picket line, as some of the towns just within this 

 line have but few of the insects. It is nevertheless important 

 that these towns receive early attention from an economic stand- 

 point. It seems to be natural that newly infested towns are 

 relatively indifferent at first, and also, the employees are un- 

 trained and unskilled. This, together with the fact that most 



