312 CONNECTICUT EXPERIMENT STATION REPORT, I907-I908. 



mologists in the work of collecting parasitized material and 

 sending it to this country. Parasites have been reared from this 

 material at Mr. Kirkland's laboratory, and all hyperparasites 

 destroyed before liberating them. The prospbcts for relief from 

 this source are most promising, but it will be several years, per- 

 haps, before the value of these parasites can be determined as 

 a control measure. In the meantime, the other work should be 

 continued, until it has been shown that the natural enemies alone 

 are able to reduce the number of gypsy and brown-tail moths so 

 materially that little or no damage will be done to property 

 by them. 



Present Conditions and Necessary Work for the Future. 



The preceding pages give an account of the work which has 

 been done in Stonington during the past year. What then are 

 the conditions as they exist at present, and what is the outlook 

 for the future? 



About twice as great an area as is now infested or nearly two 

 square miles has been cleared of brush, except that in some 

 cases the season's growth has not been cut. Most of the 

 neglected apple and other fruit trees have been pruned, scraped, 

 and the cavities filled. The pest is well under control, though 

 not yet exterminated. The conditions for exterminating the 

 gypsy moth in Stonington are therefore much better than at any 

 time since the infestation was discovered. But the work must 

 not stop here. Trees must be banded for at least two years 

 more, extreme thoroughness must be practiced in scouting for 

 egg-masses and destroying them and in hunting for caterpillars 

 both inside and outside of the present area known to be infested. 



If funds are available, we shall prosecute the work along the 

 most promising lines until the pest has been exterminated from 

 within the borders of the State of Connecticut. 



It should be borne in mind, however, that this work being done 

 by the state is experimental, and is for the purpose of exter- 

 minating a dreadful pest from a small area. If the g^psy 

 moth ever becomes widely distributed in Connecticut it will of 

 course be necessary to enact laws compelling property owners to 

 clean up their own land as is the case in Massachusetts. 



