vi 



THE GYPSY MOTH. 



committee to absolutely prohibit the sending of nursery stock or 

 any plant growth or material, probably including manure, out of 

 an infected district without inspection. My belief is that a rigid 

 quarantine law, making it a penal offence for a nurseryman to 

 send cuttings or trees from any given infected area, without first 

 having the sanction of this commission, would be effective in pre- 

 venting the spread. That is to say, there should be a competent 

 person or persons appointed, to whom all such shipments should 

 be submitted, and only upon their approval should such shipments 

 be allowed to pass out from that area. That would be the only 

 simple and efficient way of preventing its spread. My impression 

 is that the danger is far greater from overlooking a batch of eggs 

 during the months of the year when such a thing is possible, and 

 of the insects being transmitted in that way, than there would be 

 in the mere carrying of the caterpillars. I would therefore con- 

 centrate all effort on the destruction of the caterpillars. 



I believe that even in an area as extended as Professor Shaler 

 indicates, if the Legislature would appropriate a hundred thousand 

 dollars the thing could be done. Let it be used under the intelli- 

 gent guidance of some one who has had experience, who knows 

 practically how to spray, who can go to work intelligently and 

 instruct his men, and have a sufficient force to examine every tree 

 and cultivated plant upon which this insect is known to feed, and 

 make sure that wherever it is it will be destroyed before the change 

 into the chrysalis state takes place. In other words, I do not see 

 why, with one hundred thousand dollars, a single year ought not 

 to suffice to stamp it out from the area in which you know it to be 

 found. I believe it can be done, and that the State of Massachu- 

 setts would be justified in making the attempt. 



In Europe this injury is at times not great, at other times it is 

 quite extensive ; but it is chiefly notable in those places where 

 there are very large areas of cultivated forests. Bavaria, for 

 instance, has lately suffered greatly from it. Experience there 

 has shown that it is easily checked by the use of sticky bands, 

 very much the same methods as you have employed here for the 

 canker-worm. They use several kinds of glue (manufactured and 

 some of them patented by different firms), which is procured in 

 large quantities and smeared on the trees, being made in such a 

 way that it does not dry. I presume it comes nearest to our 

 printers' roller glue. The caterpillars never pass above it from 

 below. Coming down the tree they jump over it. The devices 

 for putting it on are very simple. That is the method which ex- 

 perience has shown to be the most satisfactory there, but it is a 

 preventive method, and chiefly to be considered when you have 



