CONTROL OF GIPSY MOTTI BY PUREST MANAGEMENT. 15 



for definite recommendation as to the best methods to be employed 

 under some of the most characteristic conditions. 



Forest management requires a relatively long time to produce re- 

 sults and necessitates a considerable investment. For these reasons 

 a definite object and plan of action are essential to success. In a 

 large majority of cases the primary object is to produce a valuable 

 crop of timber. The object must be decided by the owner, but 

 methods to be employed require the knowledge of a forester, since 

 the values and habits of different species of trees and the character 

 of soils must be known and should have expert consideration. 



OTHER MEASURES IN NEED OF ATTENTION. 



There is a need of a wide application of any steps adopted to 

 control the gipsy moth in woods. The efforts of scattered individual 

 owners may be offset by the indifference of neighboring owners on 

 whose properties the moths are permitted to increase without in- 

 terruption. On account of the greatly divided ownership of wood- 

 land in the infested region, this amounts to a considerable obstacle. 

 There is great need of impressing upon owners the necessity of con- 

 certed action in .the improvement and protection of their woods. 

 How this can be accomplished is a problem to which immediate atten- 

 tion should be given. 



The woods of New England have reached their present stage of 

 degeneracy through a long period of abuse and neglect, and it will 

 take years to restore them. Owing to the nature of the ownership of 

 our woods and present economic conditions restorative measures must 

 be simple and practicable for all owners. More good will be accom- 

 plished by the universal adoption of simple but definite improvement 

 measures than by the sporadic application of intensive measures. As 

 soon as the value of such a beginning has been demonstrated owners 

 will be ready enough to adopt further measures, and by that time 

 these will be better justified by economic conditions. Improvements 

 necessitate the investment of money, and the value of such improve- 

 ments must be demonstrated before they will be generally adopted. 

 One of the greatest needs among New England wood owners is that 

 they may be impressed individually with the necessity and desirability 

 of starting some definite, if simple, improvement measures at once. 



The difficulty of securing concerted action upon protective meas- 

 ures against the gipsy moth has directed attention to the question of 

 town forests, one which is now being agitated to some extent in 

 New England. Town forests would provide areas of considerable size 

 upon which systematic control measures could be put into operation 

 with assurance of a fair trial. Such conditions would be most favor- 

 able to the solution of such a problem as the one under consideration. 

 Furthermore, town forests would supply other benefits, among which 

 the following may be mentioned: (1) Large areas of waste land 



