THE WORK OF 1891. 



47 



On March 20 actual work in the field was begun. The 

 director and sixteen men visited the farm of Mr. Gilman 

 Osgood in Belmont, which was the only locality in that town 

 known by the first commission to be infested. It was then sup- 

 posed that this was an isolated moth colony, and an attempt 

 was made to stamp it out by gathering the eggs.* During 

 the day, however, other colonies were found in Belmont. 



Tlie Worh delegated to the Board of Agriculture. 

 The commission of 1891 was superseded after a few weeks 

 by the State Board of Agriculture, the act (chapter 210, 

 Acts of 1891) placing the work in the hands of the Board 

 being approved April 1 7 . The act follows : — 



[Acts of 1891, Ch-\pter 210.] 

 Ax Act to provide against depredations by the insect known 



AS THE OCNERIA DISPAR OR GYPSY MOTH. 



Be it enacted^ etc., as folloivs : 



Section 1. The state board of agriculture is hereby authorized, 

 empowered and directed to provide and carry into executiou all 

 reasonable measures to prevent the spreading and to secure the 

 extermination of the ocneria dispar or gypsy moth in this Common- 

 wealth ; and to this end said board shall have full authority to 

 X3rovide aU necessary material and appliances, and to employ such 

 competent persons, servants and agents as it shall fronj time to 

 time deem necessary in the carrying out the purposes of this act ; 

 and said board shall also have the right itself or by any persons, 

 servants or agents employed by it under the provisions of this act 

 to enter upon the lands of any person. 



Sect. 2. The owner of any land so entered upon, who shall 

 suffer damage by such entry and acts done thereon by said state 

 board of agriculture or under its dhection, may recover the same 

 of the city or town in which the lands so claimed to have been 

 damaged are situate, by action of contract ; but any benefits 

 received by such entry and the acts done on such lands in the 

 execution of the purposes of this act shall be determined by the 

 court or jury before whom such action is heard, and the amount 

 thereof shall be applied in reduction of said damages ; and the 

 Commonwealth shall refund to said city or town one-half of the 

 amount of the damages recovered. 



* The attempt to eradicate the colony was not at that time snccessful, but was ac- 

 complished later. The moths were found that season in many localities in Belmont. 



