44 



FIELD WORK AGAINST GIPSY AND BROWN-TAIL MOTHS. 



The great danger throughout the entire campaign in fighting the 

 gipsy moth has been the existence of large woodland colonies and it 

 has been impossible for either this office, the States, or the individual 

 property owners to keep the moths reduced in territory of this 

 character on account of the vast expense involved. In eastern 

 Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire there are large areas of 

 forest land which are covered with an inferior growth of trees and 

 which are badly infested. In most cases the cost of cleaning up such 

 areas and stamping out the bad colonies would amount to more than 

 the value of the property. This being the case the main attempt 

 has been to keep the roadways through forest areas free from the 

 young caterpillars and to prevent to as great an extent as possible 

 any further spread of the pest. (See PL VII.) 





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Fig. 13.— Roadsides badly infested by the gipsy moth. (Original.) 



During February, 1909, Congress appropriated $300,000 to pro- 

 vide for the continuation of the work. This sum was available for 

 the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1909. Since that time work on 

 roadsides has been continued in Massachusetts and up to January 1, 

 1910, nearly 150 miles of 100-foot strips have been cut out and pre- 

 pared for spring and summer treatment. 



The roadways cut out up to January 1, 1910, aggregate 450 miles 

 of strips. (See fig. 15.) During the period since the government 

 work began about $300,000 has been expended in Massachusetts for 

 labor and transportation of men. This does not include the amounts 

 expended for salaries, rent, tools, equipment, insecticides, supplies, 

 and the expenses that have been paid by the Government for the 

 maintenance of the Gipsy Moth Parasite Laboratory. 



Late in October, 1909, 16 scouting crews of 5 men each were sent 

 to the northern portion of the infested district in New Hampshire 



