250 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



most of August. One hundred seventeen thousand five 

 hundred seventy-four yards, or about twenty-eight tons 

 (56,864^ pounds), of burlap were used in 1894, which was 

 nearly double the amount used in 1893. A large number 

 of traps was prepared for trapping the male moths, with a 

 view of determining whether this would greatly lessen the 

 number of fertile egg-clusters in a region. An experiment 

 of this kind on a small scale had been tried in 1893, with 

 such success that it was decided to experiment on a larger 

 scale, to see if practical results could be obtained in the 

 field. The end sought was the destruction of the male 

 moths, so that the fertilization of the females might be pre- 

 vented. The experiments conducted the past season were 

 not as a whole successful enough in this respect to warrant 

 the adoption of the method in future work. 



The great number of burlapped trees (624,073) to be 

 examined had made it necessary to hire for the summer a 

 lartje number of men new to the work. Such men can be 

 employed in the examination of burlaps, as this requires 

 faithful service rather than skill or experience. At the close 

 of the burlapping season it was necessary to reduce the force 

 by the discharge of the less experienced and less skilful 

 men. Those men were retained for the fall inspection who, 

 by reason of their experience or ability, were fitted for the 

 work of discovering and destroying eggs and thereby exter- 

 minatino; colonies of the moth. On August 25, at the end 

 of the burlap season, the first reduction of the force was 

 made, and thirty-three men were discharged. Work was 

 also suspended for two weeks, so that the fall inspection and 

 the work of egs-killino^ mio^ht be deferred until the last of 

 the moths had deposited their eggs and had died, when a 

 thorough examination would be most effective. 



A Study of the Distribution of the Motli. 



Throughout the season all information possible was se- 

 cured in regard to the distribution of the gypsy moth and the 

 means of its diffusion. Previous investigations had shown 

 that, as the female moth does not fly, the spread of the in- 

 sect had been due chiefly to the transportation of caterpil- 

 lars on vehicles. During 1889 and other years when the 



