62 



shall go to the advantage of the Coaimouwealth of Massachusetts. 

 So loug as the ComLnouwealth pays for the work I think it is right for 

 our citizens to enjoy the full benefit of all discoveries made by its 

 employees. 



We have tried various experiments and find some few to be exceed- 

 ingly useful, as, for instance, where there are valuable trees on i^rivate 

 grounds we can use this arsenate of lead in large quantities without 

 injury to the foliage and yet destroy the caterpillars. In other cases 

 where the land is covered with shrubbery and is of small value we can 

 burn it over. We have a method of burning which I can not describe. 

 It approaches as near to Tophet as anything I can think of. It is the 

 most terrific blaze that I have ever seen. It is used where we want to 

 force the heat down into cavities or places where it would be impossi- 

 ble to reach the insects otherwise. In woodlands the insect crawls 

 down among the rocks so far that it is beyond the influence of any fire 

 that we are able to get up. But if we burn everything in the territory 

 around and leave only here and there a tree they will hatch in the 

 spring and crawl up the trunks of the trees. We have another method 

 of attacking them at that time. We put bands of burlap about the 

 trees; this has proved to be exceedingly useful. We found that they 

 feed only in the night after they are about half grown. They descend 

 the trees toward morning and go into any concealed i^lace they can find. 

 We cover the cavities in the trees with tin or other material and leave 

 no place for the caterpillars to hide except under the bands of burlap. 

 The men go around and destroy all the caterpillars under the bands, 

 and in a few days or in several days they will clear that tree more 

 effectually than it could be cleared at any other time except in the egg 

 state. 



I must refer to the statements made by Mr. Scudder at the time of 

 the meeting of these experts. He stated that this insect passed the 

 larger part of the year in the egg. stage, and it seemed to him that 

 the proper method of fighting them was in that stage. It has proved 

 that he was correct; that we can do very effectual work in destroying 

 the eggs. We have discovered a method of destroying the eggs which, 

 to our minds, is far superior to those used by the Germans and Austrians 

 in fighting the nun moth. While they cover the nests with raupen- 

 leim, we use a combination of creosote oil and carbolic acid. Experi- 

 ments have shown that it destroys the life of every egg. Although the 

 egg clusters are covered with hairs from the underside of the abdomen 

 of the female, yet this mixture j)enetrates and destroys the eggs. In 

 no instance have we bred a caterpillar from eggs treated in this way, 

 and at least five hundred egg clusters have been used in the experi- 

 ments to test the material. 



By authority of the State, we have prepared a book, which is now 

 going to press, in whicli we are giving all the facts that we have gained 

 on the whole subject. We want to i)ut in all that can be learned from 



