1909.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 73. ' ' 41 



Framingham at points farther west than before. No gypsy moths have 

 as yet been discovered on the water works property around the Wachu- 

 sett reservoir, but the number of brown-tail moths has increased in the 

 viciuity of the Waohusett dam, and a few have been destroyed in "West 

 Boylston at the upper end of the reservoir. 



The young pine trees on lauds around the Wachusett and Sudbury 

 reservoirs, of which about 1,000,000 have been planted during the past 

 six years, were in the ndddle of the summer found to be infested with 

 the pine tree weevil, which cuts off the young shoot, generally the 

 leader at the top of the tree. The weevUs were destroyed by cutting 

 off and burning the affected shoots. 



The work of cutting underbrush and undesirable trees which afford 

 lodging places for the moths has been continued during the year. 



The work of protecting the trees has been, as in previous years, 

 carried on under the supervision of Mr. Dexter Brackett,. the chief 

 engineer of the metropolitan water works. 



Yours very truly, Henry H. Sprague, 



Chairman. 



National Aid. 



The work done this year by the United States Department 

 of Agriculture has been most commendable, and the results 

 obtained in lie work of preventing the spread of the moths have 

 been gratifying and helpful to this office. The method used 

 by this department is very thorough, and as a rule the work 

 has been done where it would have been impossible for the 

 State or the infested municipalities to have undertaken it. The 

 work has been principally along well-traveUed thoroughfares bor- 

 dered by woodland. It is very evident that the Commonwealth 

 would have suffered much more than it has from the spreading 

 of the moths if the roadsides had not been cleared by the work 

 of the Department of Agriculture. 



In the following report of D. M. Eogers, field agent in 

 charge of the work, a few details of the work wiU be found. 

 Due credit for this wOrk should be given those instrumental 

 in securing the government appropriations. 



Report or Special Field Agent D. M. Rogers, United States De- 

 partment OF Agrictiltdre, Bureau op Entosiologt, Washing- 

 ton, D. C. 

 Our work during the year 1908 towards preventing the spread of the 

 moths has been very similar to that done in previous years. We have 

 continued work along the woodland roadsides where most infested with 



