ITS FIRST RAVAGES. 



9 



stripped all our fruit trees, taking the apple trees first and then 

 the pears. There was a beautiful maple on the street in front of 

 the next house, and all its leaves were eaten by the caterpillars. 

 They got from the ground upon the house and blackened the front 

 of it. . . . The caterpillars would get into the house in spite of 

 every precaution, and we would even find them upon the clothing 

 hanging in the closets. We destroyed a great many caterpillars 

 by burning, but their numbers did not seem to be lessened in the 

 least. Other neighbors did not fight the caterpillars as we did, 

 and so our efforts were in a measure rendered abortive. I think 

 perhaps that if an organized effort had been made at that time to 

 destroy the caterpillars they might have been stamped out. We 

 lived on Myrtle Street for four years, and every year had the same 

 plague. 



It should be noted that the Flinn family moved from 

 Myrtle Street in 1886, having suffered from the pest from 

 1882 until that time, which was three years before it became 

 generally prevalent. Although the moths were so numerous 

 near the Trouvelot house from 1880 to 1885, they did not 

 become a serious pest farther down the street until about 

 1886. We quote Mrs. M. F. Fenton : — 



In 1886 we lived at No. 10 Myrtle Street, and that summer we 

 could not take any enjoyment out of doors. The caterpillars were 

 very thick. We destroyed very many of them, but it seemed 

 impossible to diminish their numbers. They seemed to be mul- 

 tiplying steadily. A mere shake of a tree would bring them down 

 on one in showers. They strip trees very quickly. 



Mr. D. W. Daly, No. 5 Myrtle Street, makes the follow- 

 ing statement : — 



I moved here in 1884, and the next year got quite a crop of 

 apples. I have three apple trees and a crab apple. In 1886 the 

 gypsy-moth caterpillars appeared for the first time in any consider- 

 able numbers in my yard. Nobody knew what they were. There 

 were more of them farther down the street. In 1887 they came in 

 droves, and before June 17 they had my trees stripped as clean as 

 in December. After stripping the apple trees, they stripped a 

 Sheldon pear tree as clean as the others. From 1887 to 1890, 

 inclusive, I got no fruit. The caterpillars worked some little havoc 

 on the lilacs. I was more fortunate than some others, whose trees 

 were killed. I spent much time in killing caterpillars. I used to 



