30 



70 per cent in six days, 90 per cent in nine days, and all were dead in 

 twelve days. 



The sixth tree was sprayed with Sheele's green, 1 pound to 150 gal- 

 lons of water. No results were visible in two days, but 5 jyer cent were 

 dead in three days, 25 per cent in four days, 50 per cent in six days, 75 

 per cent in nine days, 95 per cent in twelve days, and all were dead in 

 fifteen days. This insecticide burned the foliage quite badly, while 

 neither of the others caused any injury whatever. 



There was a great deal of rainy weather at the time of these experi- 

 ments, and no glucose was used in any of them. We must conclude 

 from the results obtained that the brown-tail moth succumbs to arsen- 

 ical poisons as readily as our common native insects, and does not pos- 

 sess the power of eliminating poison to any such extent as the gipsy 

 moth. 



REMEDIES. 



The remedies generally adopted for the brown-tail moth are to cut off 

 and burn the webs during the winter while the young caterpillars are 

 still within them. Mr. O. W. Minott, one of the superintendents of the 

 gipsy-moth work, called my attention to the fact that some of the webs 

 fall off and the caterpillars pass the winter in them on the ground. In 

 this case they may ascend and attack trees in the spring that were 

 supposed to have been entirely cleared. 



LAWS IN MASSACHUSETTS RELATING: TO THE BROWN-TAIL MOTH. 



Immediately following the discovery that the brown-tail moth had 

 made its appearance in this Commonwealth, the attention of the gov- 

 ernor was called to the danger that threatened because of this pest, 

 aud his excellency sent a message to the legislature concerning the 

 matter. A bill was then introduced authorizing and directing the 

 board of agriculture to undertake the work of exterminating this insect, 

 with an appropriation of $6,000. Upon this failing to pass the legisla- 

 ture, another bill was immediately introduced, which became a law June 

 11, 1897. This law made it the duty of the city or town government 

 within whose precincts the pest was discovered, to take immediate 

 steps for its extinction and to prevent its spread. It was also made 

 the duty of the board of agriculture to cause inspections to be made, 

 upon receipt of notice from local authorities, or whenever they had rea- 

 son to suspect the presence of the insect in any city or town, and to 

 furnish the local authorities with printed information concerning meth- 

 ods of dealing with the pest. Severe penalties were imposed by this 

 law in case of neglect or refusal to comply with the requirements of the 

 statute. This law was only partially operative, and, like similar laws 

 in Europe, did not prove entirely successful. During the winter of 

 1897-98, however, as soon as inspection was made and notice of infested 



