No. 4.] THE GYPSY MOTH. 319 



The metropolitan park system in Boston and some of the 

 adjacent cities and towns is threatened by this insect, and, 

 in fact, the Middlesex Fells reservation belonging to this 

 system is already infested by the gypsy moth. The ex- 

 pense of exterminating this insect in a public park is far 

 greater than from the same area of ordinary forest land, 

 for the reason that in the latter case all the shrubs, under- 

 brush and small trees can be cut down and burned, or, if 

 need be, the land can be entirely cleared and burned over; 

 while this course could not be adopted in a public park like 

 the Boston Common or Public Garden, or even in Franklin 

 Park or any portion of the metropolitan park system. If, 

 therefore, the State should abandon the work of extermi- 

 nating the gypsy moth, this insect would soon spread all over 

 these parks, and the tax payers of Boston would be per- 

 petually taxed for one-half of the expense of clearing the 

 moth from the metropolitan parks, while the other cities 

 and towns in the metropolitan district would pay the other 

 half, and Boston would be taxed for the entire expense of 

 the work in the Boston parks. I feel very sure that any 

 one who has had any considerable experience in the field 

 work on the gypsy moth would agree with me in the 

 opinion that the annual tax on the city of Boston and the 

 other towns of the district would then be far more than it 

 will be if the Legislature makes the necessary appropri- 

 ations for the extermination of this insect within the limits 

 of Massachusetts. And it must especially be remembered 

 that this question of gypsy moth extermination is by no 

 means mainly a local one. 



Should the gypsy moth escape from control, — as it 

 assuredly would do if the work of extermination were to 

 cease, — it would spread in all directions, doing incalculable 

 damage over the whole State. Extermination would then be 

 impracticable, and a perpetual warfare against the moth — 

 most unsatisfactory in results, yet necessitating oppressive 

 expense to all time — would then be entailed upon the people 

 of Massachusetts. The most economic policy for the tax 

 payers of Boston, as well as for the entire Commonwealth, is 

 to have the insect exterminated as soon as possible. 



It is an unwise and dangerous policy to make smaller 



