GYPSY MOTH WORK. 301 



i8th. Details of the suppression work are given in the follow- 

 ing pages. 



Scouting and Destroying Egg-Masses. 



All trees throughout the infested region, including those in the 

 village and as far north as the cemetery road, were examined by 

 the men during the winter. In the immediate vicinity of known 

 infestations, fences, walls and buildings were also carefully 

 inspected. Plate VII shows men engaged in scouting and 

 destroying egg-masses. Creosote is applied by means of a 

 brush, enough being used to thoroughly soak the egg-mass, and 

 this prevents the eggs from hatching. Much of this territory 

 was again examined in December. About io6 unhatched egg- 

 masses laid in 1906 were found and destroyed by the men 

 employed by the state. Considerable time in summer was spent 

 scouting for caterpillars. 



Government Cooperation in Scouting. 

 Following previous arrangement by correspondence, Mr. 

 D. M. Rogers, special field agent in charge of the Government 

 work against the gypsy and brown-tail moths, put four men 

 at work scouting about Stonington on March 20th, and later 

 their force was increased to five. These men were instructed 

 to make a careful search over the whole town of Stonington and 

 the easterly portion of Groton near West Mystic, eastward sur- 

 rounding Westerly, R. I., and north to include a portion of the 

 town of North Stonington. The Government men examined 

 not only the infested region, which was later scouted by state 

 men, but a large area surrounding this region. No egg-masses 

 were found outside the limits previously known to be infested. 

 Twelve egg-masses were found by the Government scouts, who 

 were engaged about four weeks in examining this territory. 



Destroying Egg-Masses in Stone Walls. 



In several of the worst infested spots caterpillars trans- 

 formed in stone walls, and the females there laid their eggs. In 

 order to destroy them it was necessary to overhaul the stones 

 and treat each egg-mass with creosote. Around the places of 

 M. Chesebro, F. Allen, and near the Alexander Rose estate on 

 North Main street sections of stone wall were overhauled and 

 relaid, altogether about fifteen rods being thus treated. 



