250 



THE GYPSY MOTH. 



imperilled by inadequate resources and repeated delays in 

 making the annual appropriations. Unless ample appropri- 

 ations are promptly granted, failure is certain. 



To continue the past policy of inadequate and belated ap- 

 propriations may result sooner or later in the escape of the 

 moth from the territory to which it is at present confined and 

 its final distribution over the whole country. In such a case 

 it might injure the agricultural interests beyond calculation. 

 If the gypsy moth should be allowed to spread over the 

 United States, the average farmer would be powerless, under 

 the conditions prevailing in this country, to protect his or- 

 chard, woodland or garden against the ravages of this insect. 

 Whatever afi:ects the prosperity of the farmer afiects the 

 prosperity of the whole people. Knowing as we do that the 

 moth feeds on nearly all forest and orchard trees and garden 

 plants, knowing also the injury done in Europe within the 

 past century by this insect, having* learned by experience the 

 greatly increased destructiveness of European insects when 

 introduced here, and considering the annual damage now done 

 to agriculture by insects in this country (estimated by an em- 

 inent authority at three hundred and eighty million dollars), 

 we can but view with alarm the possibility of the spread of 

 this insect over the United States. 



There is no doubt in the minds of those acquainted with 

 the facts that the gypsy moth can be held in check where it 

 now is and that it can be exterminated if sufficient resources 

 can be secured and vigorous measures taken. It would seem, 

 then, that the general government should seize the opportunity 

 now presented to stamp out the pest which Massachusetts 

 undertook to exterminate as soon as it was publicly known 

 that it was within her borders, reducing its numbers and the 

 area of its dissemination by local extermination and thus far 

 holding it in check. The policy of control or extermination 

 of insect pests by governmental commissions, which has been 

 so successful in certain European countries, might be applied 

 to advantage in this case by the government of the United 

 States. There are those who believe that neither the State 

 nor nation should appropriate money for the extermination 

 of this insect, but that land owners should be left to protect 

 their own property from its ravages. According to Professor 



