3bG 



BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



The numl)er of trees sprayed in 1896 is much larger than 

 the number sprayed in 1895, for it had been demon- 

 strated beyond all doubt that arsenate of lead could be 

 relied upon to destroy the moth. Also, much of the spring 

 work having been left undone, the numbers of newly hatched 

 caterpillars made spraying necessary in many cases where it 

 would not have been done had the hatching been prevented. 

 Again, much of the spraying with arsenate of lead was done 

 in wooded localities, where there were many trees to be 

 sprayed. 



While the number of caterpillars destroyed l)y burlapping 

 during 1895 was greater than the number killed in this way 

 in 1896, the numbers of pupa? and moths destroyed in 1896 

 more closely approached the figures of 1895, while the 

 number of egg-clusters destroyed in 1896 is greater than the 

 number of those destroyed in 1895. On account of the late- 

 ness of the appropriation, it was impossible to burlap all the 

 trees, and, on account of the reduction in the size of the 

 appropriation, very little in the way of killing caterpillars 

 could be done in the summer in most of the territory com- 

 prised in those towns where no burlap was put on. There- 

 fore, more moths matured and more eggs were consequently 

 laid in 1896 than in 1895. This accounts for the difference 

 between the figures of the two years. Although a greater 

 number of egg-clusters has been destroyed this year than last 

 year, the number now existing in the woodland of the cen- 

 tral towns is greater than the number reported destroyed. 



False Alarms. 



During 1896, as in former years, reports of the presence 

 of supposed gypsy moths or of injury caused by them have 

 been received, both from towns within the infested region 

 and from other towns in the State •, but in no such case has 

 any evidence of the moth been found by our investigations 

 outside the region previously known to be infested except in 

 Brookline, which adjoins the infested region. Reports have 

 also been received from other States. These have all been 

 investigated, and no evidence of the gypsy moth has been 

 found. 



