C0mm0iTt"ai^altIj 0f IPassarljitsrfts* 



To the Massachusetts State Board of Agriculture. 



In accordance with the provisions of law, the committee 

 on the gypsy moth, insects and birds of the State Board of 

 Agriculture presents the report of expenditures and work 

 performed in the endeavor "to prevent the spreading and 

 secure the extermination of the Ocneria disjoar, or gypsy 

 moth, in this Commonwealth." 



Early in the year Prof. N. S. Shaler, who had been most 

 prominent in the work of the committee from its beginning, 

 resio'ned from the Board of Airriculture on account of press- 

 ure of other duties, and the committee was thereby deprived 

 of his very valuable assistance. Mr. Francis H. Appleton, 

 who had also been from the first a member of the committee, 

 resio-ned from the committee, soon after the decision of the 

 Legislature not to appropriate the sum asked for the year 

 1894 by the Board, his reason for resigning being that the 

 sum appropriated was insufficient to do what the law 

 required the committee to do. Thus the committee has been 

 deprived of the assistance of two members of largest expe- 

 rience. The committee is happy to be able to state that 

 both these gentlemen were in perfect accord with the other 

 members, and that from the first all plans were made and 

 carried out with the unanimous approval of all the members. 



On May 1, the appropriation of 1893 having been ex- 

 pended, all field work was discontinued. The appropria- 

 tion for 1894 did not become available until May 23 and thus 

 nearly two weeks of the most valuable working time of the 

 season w^ere lost. The indirect losses and delays were quite 

 as important as the loss of working time of the men laid ofi". 



