xxxviii 



THE GYPSY MOTH. 



visited by me — Maiden, Lynn and Swampscott — only a single 

 half -grown larva was discovered speaks loudest. 



I was extremely interested in the office organization, in which 

 the system of entering and classifying reports enables the director 

 and the members of the committee to determine at once the exact 

 condition of affairs in any district. The notes of observations 

 made by inspectors are many of them of the greatest interest, 

 and merit editing by an entomologist capable of recognizing facts 

 and separating them from inferences made by the observer. 



The inspection of the tool-house was a revelation in the variety 

 of apparatus it afforded, all of it adapted to the special end in 

 view. The practical value of all the apparatus is obvious, and 

 while for an orchard the spraying outfits might be considered 

 clumsy and somewhat wasteful, yet when the character of the 

 work is considered the apparatus designed for the fruit grower is 

 manifestly insufficient. A most commendable feature in the work 

 has been seeking out means of taking advantage of the peculiarities 

 of the insect's habits, which is, after all, the most philosophical 

 way of accomplishing the work in hand. 



It would be altogether too long a task to go into details con- 

 cerning the outfit of insecticide machinery, and I need only say 

 that I can find absolutely nothing to suggest in the way of improv- 

 ing the methods of work. 



The force under the direction of Mr. Forbush has accomplished 

 wonders, and I feel now that there is very good reason for the be- 

 lief that the gypsy moth can be exterminated, provided the means 

 are furnished by the Legislature of Massachusetts in as liberal a 

 spirit at least as past appropriations have been made. 



I have been asked to give an opinion on the feasibility of intro- 

 ducing European parasites of this insect, to keep it in check. I 

 feel very decidedly that this would be money wasted. This and 

 its all}^, the Nonne^ are frequently destructive in Europe, and if 

 its parasites do not succeed in mastering it there, there is no reason 

 for beheving that they can do better here. 



Nature never works for the extermination of any of its creatures, 

 and if parasites ever exterminated their hosts the parasites them- 

 selves would be exterminated for the want of food. A balance is all 

 that nature aims for. A parasite which would be able to exteiTuinate 

 the gypsy moth in this country must be one that would prey on this 

 one insect only ; and even then it is very problematical whether 

 the result would be very satisfactory, for to enable the parasites 

 to do their work, artificial means of destroying the larvae would 

 have to be abandoned for fear of killing the parasites as well. 



I am very sti'ongly of the opinion, therefore, that nothing can 

 be gained by an attempted introduction of parasites. 



