1924 ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY 53 



It might be well to include here a paragraph of a paper prepared by the 

 writer for presentation at a meeting of the United States Committee on Reforesta- 

 tion, recently held at Albany, N.Y.: 



"I believe a Gipsy Moth barrier zone can be established, and I believe it will be established. 

 The date we can say this has been accomplished, and the location where it is established, depends 

 entirely upon the recognition that requests for present and future Gipsy Moth appropriations 

 receive." 



The above fully applies to the present Canadian situation. A serious gipsy- 

 moth infestation has been located less than a mile from your southern border. 



The present and future action that is taken regarding further funds for 

 protective work against this pest will alone determine whether or not it will 

 permanently cross the international boundary. 



Very few can be found to-day who do not believe in insurance. Expendi- 

 tures for protective work against an invasion of the gipsy moth should not be 

 considered other than a most valuable insurance. 



I regret that I am not familiar enough with Canadian resources to quote 

 intelligently on the amount of money that could be wisely expended as insurance 

 in protecting Canada from ravages of the gipsy moth such as have been experi- 

 enced in New England. 



It has been said by some, even by those entirely familiar with the gipsy- 

 moth situation in New England, that there was a question whether the gipsy 

 moth would ever become of economic importance in northern New England or 

 Canada. An illustration of this is now evident at Alburgh, Vermont. You 

 can there very clearly see as great a reproduction in an unmolested colony as 

 ever was found in any section where gipsy-moth colonies have been located in 

 the United States. 



It has again been mentioned, or at least the fact has often been considered, 

 why defoliation of forest areas is not more prevalent in northern New England 

 during feeding period of the gipsy-moth larvae. If more serious thought were 

 given this matter, or if those interested in the problem care to look back a few 

 years, they would readily find that no colony of gipsy moth, except in a residential 

 section, ever became publicly noticeable, or caused extensive defoliation in less 

 than ten years. Wooded areas, as a rule, are not found infested until the isolated 

 growth in the surrounding open territory is found generally infested. 



The suppression work that has been carried on in that territory has naturally 

 prevented rapid increase of the infestation and likewise retarded the develop- 

 ment to a degree that would yet cause easily noticeable defoliation in the vast 

 wooded areas of that section. A timely suggestion here would probably not be 

 misplaced. 



Keep the gipsy moth out of Canada. 



Even though climatic or other conditions would retard to some extent the 

 increase of the insect, it surely will, if allowed to become firmly established in 

 your territory, become of enormous economic importance. 



New York State did not undertake the problem of establishing a gipsy-moth 

 barrier zone without due consideration and expert advice, which resulted in a 

 unanimous decision that such was the only practical method to adopt. 



Canada was ably represented at the conference at which the decision 

 mentioned was reached. The situation at that time did not appear especially 

 alarming to Canada, and a direct appeal for immediate action by you was not 

 made. The situation has changed, and is to-day as alarming to you as it is to 

 New York. 



