80 



colony lias been brought to such a condition that there is little danger 

 of dissemination from it. 



Nevertheless, the moth is scattered through hundreds of acres of 

 woodland there and extermination in Lincolu and the adjoining town 

 of Weston, into which a few larvae have been dispersed, will be costly. 



The work of spraying and burning the past season has been greatly 

 facilitated by improved apparatus prepared under the direction of Mr. 

 E. 0. Ware, of the department, and in part invented by him. An iuvi- 

 tation is extended to the association to inspect this apparatus at our 

 Maiden office. [This invitation was accepted by a large delegation from 

 the association.] 



Information about the gipsy moth has been widely scattered through 

 the region adjacent to the infested territory. People have learned to 

 dread the moth and are ou the watch for it. The Lincoln and Man- 

 chester colonies were discovered and reported to us by citizens. To 

 secure still further the intelligent cooperation of citizens in this work, 

 it is planned to distribute from house to house, within the towns imme- 

 diately bordering the infested region, an illustrated bulletin descriptive 

 of the gipsy moth, its habits, and something of its history. 



In no previous year have we been able to speak so confidently of prog- 

 ress so early in the season. The great wooded tracts, especially in the 

 eastern, western, and northern divisions of the infested territory, are 

 now in excellent condition. More than ever this year have I been 

 impressed with our power to cope with and in due time to utterly extir- 

 pate the gipsy moth when we are sufficiently supported by legislative 

 grants. . 



If the legislature promptly provides for several years to come an 

 appropriation strictly limited to the gipsy-moth work and equal to the 

 amount granted this year, there can be no doubt of the final extermina- 

 tion of the gipsy moth from Massachusetts. 



This paper was x>i'eliminary to an excursion to the gipsy-moth dis- 

 tricts, offered by the gipsy-moth committee to the members of the asso- 

 ciation, to occupy the afternoon of the last day of the session, and the 

 discussion of the communication was deferred to an informal one during 

 the excursion. 



A committee, consisting of Messrs. Bethune, Osborn, and Smith (J.B.), 

 was appointed to express the opinion of the members of the association 

 regarding the work against the gipsy moth in the State of Massa- 

 chusetts. The report submitted by this committee follows: 



Resolved, That the work of the gipsy-moth committee in the State of Massa- 

 chusetts, having heen inspected in all its details by a large number of the members 

 of this association and its methods of operation observed, it is our opinion (hat too 

 much praise can not be bestowed upon those who are carrying out this important 

 work. We consider that they have adoj>ted the best methods yet devised for con- 



