xxvi BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



many places where the loss was estimated at as much as $500 

 leads to the opinion that one-fifth of this amount would be 

 more nearly correct. 



A member of the State Board who visited various parts of 

 the towns of Bridgewater, Middleborough, Wareham, Carver, 

 Plympton and Plymouth during the height of the invasion this 

 year has supplied the following statement : — 



At the Bridgewater State Farm the army worms were very numerous, 

 though Mr, Bacon, the farmer there, stated that the attack was not as 

 bad as in 1896. The greatest injury was to oats and grass, and v/ould 

 perhaps reach $500. There were several smaller outbreaks in Bridgewater, 

 but with shght money loss. Middleborough had numerous though small 

 outbreaks, the total loss being estimated at $300. In Wareham, some 

 lawns and small fields of grass were injured, the estimated loss being 

 less than $100. Reports of damage to cranberry bogs in Carver failed to 

 be supported on investigation; a few mowing fields attacked indicated 

 a loss of perhaps $100. In Plymouth, no places were found where the 

 insect was causing any appreciable injury. In these towns the whole 

 question of damage has been much overestimated without question, 

 for all cases reported were followed up and always found to be much 

 exaggerated. 



A bulletin on the army worm, its habits, history and an 

 account of the recent outbreak, has been prepared by Dr. H. T. 

 Fernald, and is a splendid treatise on the subject. 



Tent caterpillars were not so numerous as last season, but in 

 some parts of the State did considerable damage; 1913 probably 

 marked the height of the present cycle of this insect. 



Forest tent caterpillars were abundant in some places, and 

 their work is often mistaken for that of the gypsy moth. 



Brown-tail moths were very scarce in most sections, and 

 reports are now coming in that the webs made last year contain 

 very few live insects. 



Orchard insects, such as codling moth, railroad worm and 

 leaf miners were not as numerous as usual. Good conditions 

 at time of spraying probably reduced the number of codling 

 moths, so that there was a small second lot, although in some 

 sections this pest was serious. 



One of our most troublesome orchard pests is the aphis, and 

 when these are plentiful, as they were during the past season, 



