i8o 



RECREATION. 



for the protection of the city's shade trees 

 against this insect. This sum was prac- 

 tically exhausted on two streets, with but 

 slight effect in reducing the numbers of 

 the moth. Next, the people of the infested 

 district, embracing several cities and 

 towns, appealed for aid to the Legislature 

 of Massachusetts. This enlightened and 

 progressive Commonwealth appropriated 

 $25,000, to be expended under the direction 

 of a salaried commission, which made pos- 

 sible the destruction of the moth in the 

 center of the infested region. This sum, 

 however, being insufficient for the needs of 

 the work, it was supplemented by an ad- 

 ditional appropriation, and, with several 

 changes in the management, the State 

 work against this insect has been continued 

 to the present time. 



Early in the work the moth was found 

 scattered over some 200 square miles of 

 territory, and in the operations incident to 

 the destruction of the eggs, caterpillars 

 and moths, a force often numbering 500 

 men has been engaged. The methods 

 chiefly in use consist of the destruction of 

 the spongy egg masses by the application 

 of crude creosote, the spraying of infested 

 trees with arsenate of lead, the collection 

 of the caterpillars by means of burlap 

 bands, under which they are found and 

 destroyed by employees, and the burning 

 Over of brush land and other infested areas 

 where this method is applicable. A photo- 

 graph accompanying this article shows 

 gypsy moth employees at work destroying 

 the eggs of the moth on the famous Dex- 

 ter elm at Maiden. This elm is the larg- 

 est tree in the infested district — even in 

 Eastern Massachusetts. It has an extreme 

 height of no feet, and a circumference of 

 J2g feet at the base. 



Early in the work it seemed desirable to- 

 test the possibility of extermination by an 

 application of the methods found to be ef- 

 fective to the most difficult problem avail- 

 able. The elm, badly infested, furnished 

 the problem. The results were entirely 

 satisfactory. Having cleared the moth 

 from this tree, it was evident it could be 

 cleared from any tree in the district — a 

 conclusion amply borne out by subsequent 

 experience. In the work of exterminating 

 the gypsy moth the State of Massachusetts, 

 has expended more than $1,000,000 of her 

 public funds. This she has done primarily- 

 to protect her own agricultural interests; 

 but, in so doing, she has given protection 

 to similar interests in every State in the 

 Union. Now that this work is drawing to, 

 a close, with the possibility of extermina- 

 ting the moth amply demonstrated, it 

 would seem that the State might with 

 justice receive the financial assistance of 

 the National Government in bringing this 

 important work to a successful issue. 



Our ornithologists have found in the 

 rapid spread of the moth in Eastern Mas- 

 sachusetts another evidence of the great 

 evil which accompanies the destruction of 

 our native insectivorous birds or their re- 

 placement by the English sparrow. If the 

 native birds had remained as abundant as 

 they were 30 years ago the spread of the 

 moth, no doubt, would have been appre- 

 ciably restricted. While the elimination of 

 the native birds in the residential districts 

 has been largely caused by the sparrow, 

 the efforts of this marauder have been ably 

 seconded by thoughtless boys, so-called 

 sportsmen, and particularly by ignorant 

 foreigners. Thus the history of the gypsy- 

 moth appeals to tree-lovers and bird-lovers, 

 alike. 



GUN PRESENTED TO THOMAS JEFFERSON BY THE EMPEROR OF MOROCCO, 



Length of gun, 5 feet 6 inches. Silver inlaid with coral. 



