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To the Massachusetts State Board of Agriculture. 



Your committee, to which was committed the work of ex- 

 terminating the gypsy moth, under the orders of the Legislat- 

 ure, herewith presents the report of expenditures and of 

 work performed during the year 1897. 



The balance on hand Jan. 1, 1897, as reported last year, 

 was $8,849.85. This balance was retained to enable the 

 committee to close up the work and turn over the material 

 on hand belonging to the State, without the necessity of a 

 deficiency appropriation, should the Legislature decide to 

 make no further appropriation. But, under the advice of 

 authorized State officers, the committee was led to conclude 

 that the work could be continued " during the month of Jan- 

 uary, until the pleasure of the General Court should be made 

 known, at the rate of expenditure authorized by the appropri- 

 ation of the preceding year." In this way the committee 

 was enabled to avoid the discharge of the efficient men then 

 in its employ. 



The Legislature acted promptly, and on February 26 ap- 

 propriated $150,000 for the work of 1897. This prompt 

 action, so diflerent from past experience, was in a high 

 degree advantageous, as it enabled the committee to do an 

 immense amount of necessary work that could be done only 

 before the appearance of the young caterpillars in the spring. 

 The sum appropriated by the Legislature, however, was only 

 three-fourths of the amount estimated by the committee as 

 necessary for the effectual carrying on of the work required 

 by law. With only three-fourths of the required amount 

 available, the plans for the year were necessarily revised, and 

 much work that had been planned had to be abandoned 

 and must now be reported as still undone. 



During the years 1895-96 most of the territory com- 

 prised in the infested towns had been quite carefully in- 



