338 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



The acreage cared for in 1912 was three and one-lialf times that cared 

 for in 1908, and the expenditure only three-fourths as much. 



We also did some fall spraying in the fall of 1911 for brown-tails on 162 

 acres. Our force varied from 25 men to over 150. 



Average Cost of the Work. 



Spraying 3,774 acres, ........ $4 59 per acre. 



Crcosoting 2,744 acres, . . . . . . . . 2 30 per acre. 



Cutting 1,3G8 acres, ........ 9 68 per acre. 



These costs do not include tools, plant, etc., nor depreciation, merely labor and 

 materials. 



Where work was done on private estates, which was only in the back 

 woods where it came in connection with other work your committees were 

 doing, the cost of the work is being repaid by the owners whenever they 

 can afford to pay for it. 



Co-operation by the Commonwealth and the Cities and Towns. 



Your committees feel that the summer residents owe a great deal to 

 Governor Foss and his State officials, the State Forester, superintendent 

 and men in charge of the work, to the mayor and city government of 

 Beverly, and to the selectmen of Manchester, for their generous help and 

 co-operation, without which it would have been impossible for your com- 

 mittees to have done systematic, thorough and efficient work against the 

 gypsy moth under one responsible head, and without regard to town lines. 

 The selectmen of Hamilton have also co-operated by caring for many of 

 the woods in that town. Without this co-operation and the money given 

 by the State, municipalities and subscribers, our forests and beautiful 

 shore would have been greatly injured. 



It requires a large amount of pluck, as well as sound business judgment 

 on the part of city and town officials in these days, to authorize the spend- 

 ing of money in their charge by an outside committee or commissioner, or 

 by others than town and city officials. We believe, however, that the 

 results obtained are ample justification of their action. 



Our Hopes for the Future. 



Our forest can be preserved, our wood roads protected and the shore 

 remain as beautiful as it is now, provided the work is continued on the 

 fines on which it has been begun. 



It is the opinion of the best experts that in the back woods the various 

 pai'asites will soon maintain a kind of equiUbrium which will prevent the 

 trees which are yet particularly susceptible to the attack of the g3T)sy 

 moth from being destroyed. 



Your committees hope that the subscribers, the Commonwealth and the 

 cities and towns will co-operate in the future as they have in the past. 

 They hope that every resident and summer resident on the North Shore 



