252 BOAKD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



finally reduced to one hundred and thirty-three men. In 

 the second week in September the fall inspection was begun. 

 This was confined at first mostly to known infested locali- 

 ties. The inspection of the outer towns could not be made 

 to advantao;e until late in October, as the leaves remained 

 upon the trees to an unusually late date. After this work 

 had been continued for about ten days it was checked by 

 a snow-storm, which for nearly two weeks made thorough 

 inspection impossible. 



While studying the distribution of the moth, it was seen 

 that those centres of population nearest the infested district 

 were most likely to become infested by reason of their fre- 

 quent communication with towns within that district. It 

 was also learned that there was some traffic, both regular 

 and irregular, with the cities to the north. Lowell, Law- 

 rence, Haverhill and Gloucester, being nearest to the in- 

 fested region on the north and east, were considered to have 

 been more exposed to infection than cities at a greater dis- 

 tance. Gloucester had been examined in previous years, 

 and no gypsy moths had been found there. As Lowell, from 

 the known circumstances, seemed to have been the place in 

 greatest danger of infection, an examination of that city was 

 made during the last part of October and the first weeks of 

 November. An inspection was also made of points in towns 

 surroundino; Lowell, to which traffic from the infested reoion 

 had been directed ; but no moths were found in either the 

 city or its surrounding towns. 



Nearly all traffic to the south from the infested region 

 tends toward Boston. The city proper and those suburban 

 portions lying nearest the infested region had been inspected 

 in former years, and no moths had been found except in 

 Charlestown and East Boston. But in 1893, during a par- 

 tial inspection of the southern district of the city, a colony 

 of moths was found in Franklin Park. Investigation revealed 

 circumstances indicating that the moths had been carried 

 there by pleasure driving several years previous, and soon 

 after the park was opened to the public. This led to the con- 

 clusion that the region lying between Franklin Park and the 

 infested towns had been exposed because of the carriage of 

 caterpillars through it. It was then decided to examine that 



