DISTRIBUTING INFORMATION. 199 



The prejudice existing against the spraying and other feat- 

 ures of the work, which was expressed in the local press 

 in 1890, continued to find some expression in 1891. The 

 papers, however, gave the work of the Board of Agriculture 

 a wide publicity. We can do no less than acknowledge the 

 spirit of fairness of the press of the State, and the willing- 

 ness manifested to publish everything in regard to the work 

 which would be of interest to the people. Yet false reports 

 as to the appearance of the gypsy moth in various places at 

 a distance from the infested region have been frequently and 

 widely circulated. These appear to originate not with the 

 newspapers themselves but with citizens who, believing that 

 they have discovered the gypsy moth on their premises, can- 

 not wait to notify the Board, but immediately rush into print 

 and so give the alarm. In all such cases it has been found 

 upon investigation that the injury noticed was caused by some 

 other insect. Yet these local * ' scares " have assisted in arous- 

 ing the interest of the people, and leading them to further 

 investigation of the appearance and character of the moth. 



Early in 1891 arrangements were made with an artist for 

 drawings of the gypsy moth to be reproduced for illustra- 

 tion. A colored plate (Plate I. of this report) was prepared 

 and printed in the first annual report of the State Board 

 of Agriculture on the extermination of the gypsy moth. 

 Ten thousand copies of this report were printed and dis- 

 tributed throughout the Commonwealth, especially in and 

 near the infested district. Fifteen hundred extra copies 

 of the plate were also printed, to be used in connection 

 with other material and for posting in public places, such 

 as post-offices, schools, libraries and museums. One hun- 

 dred and fifty glass-covered cases, containing specimens 

 of the difierent forms of the gypsy moth, preserved, mounted 

 and labelled, were prepared for exhibition in the infested 

 district, as well as for museums and other public places in 

 the State. A bulletin of information was also prepared, and 

 five hundred copies were printed in large type and framed. 

 In the centre of each frame was placed one of the colored 

 plates representing the difierent forms of the gypsy moth ; a 

 printed explanation accompanied the plate. These frames 

 were placed in prominent positions in post-offices, mostly 



