24 BULLETIN 204, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



cultural need of the woods is obviously a great reduction of their 

 diversity and the replacement of a large portion of the species by 

 those which have a greater commercial value, and for which the con- 

 ditions for growth are much better adapted. The steps needed to 

 accomplish this are in many instances precisely those which appear 

 to be necessary in controlling gipsy-moth attack by silvicultural 

 practice. 



PROPOSED FOREST EXPERIMENT. 



In order to determine the practicability of carrying on an experi- 

 ment over a large area preliminary surveys have been made of the 

 forest growth in the town of Winchendon, Mass. This work has been 

 attempted in cooperation with the State forester of Massachusetts, 

 Mr. F. W. Rane. The original growth in this town was undoubtedly 

 coniferous, but there has been considerable cutting and as a result 

 hardwood growth of various species has become established. Oak 

 does not predominate, however, in this region and it is hoped that 

 sufficient cooperation can be secured from the woodland owners in 

 the town to' handle the forest area so as to bring it into ' a growth 

 which will not be susceptible to gipsy-moth attack. The preliminary 

 survey has been completed and the data are now being compiled with 

 a view to determining whether a plan of this sort can be worked out 

 on an extensive area. 



SCOUTING WORK. 



The scouting work consists in examining the territory along the 

 outside border of infestation, and in treating the gipsy-moth colonies 

 adjacent to the border for the purpose of preventing spread of the 

 insects to other parts of the United States. This work is in charge 

 of Mr. L. H. Worthley, who is assisted by Mr. H. L. Mclntyre. The 

 territory is divided into six sections with the following men in charge 

 of a section: Mr. D. G. Murphy, Worcester, Mass., H. A. Ames, Athol, 

 Mass., H. N. Bean, Keene, N. EL, F. W. Graves, jr., Bradford, N. H., 

 F. W. Foster, Plymouth, N. H., and C. E. Totman, Canaan, N. H. 

 Parties consisting of five trained scouts in charge of a foreman are 

 detailed to make the examinations and treat the infestations, each 

 general foreman having from 5 to 10 crews of scouts under his super- 

 vision. In order to check up the thoroughness with which the work 

 is done in the lightly infested territory, a party, usually consisting of 

 two experienced men who are known as special scouts, examines the 

 work after the regular inspection has been made in order to see 

 whether egg clusters of the moth have been missed and that the 

 work was thoroughly done by the scouts. Each scout is required to 

 place a characteristic mark on every tree examined by him so that 

 the responsibility for leaving egg clusters can be readily determined. 

 By following up this plan the force is maintained at a high degree of 



