noj 
GIPSY MOTH TREE-BANDING MATERIAL. 11 
can not be laid on the care of the bands during the caterpillar 
season. The mere presence of the bands, regardless of their condi- 
tion, will not be effective in barring caterpillars. On the other hand, 
if regular and frequent care can not be given the bands during the 
heavy caterpillar season, it is sometimes advisable to use broader 
bands of lj or more inches wide. Also double bands, each if by 
3 7 2 inch, which can be applied with the regulation tree-banding 
gun by merely encircling the tree twice, are very effective where the 
infestation is extremely heavy. Bands should not be applied of 
more than \ inch thickness, as the weight of the material causes the 
bands to separate and slide down, especially on smooth-bark trees, 
unless such bands are tJ inches or more in breadth. 
COMPARISON OF COSTS AND TIME REQUIRED TO SCRAPE TREES AND APPLY 
STICKY BANDS TO THAT OF GIPSY MOTH TREE-BANDING MATERIAL. 
A comparative test was made in applying 25 pounds each of sticky 
banding material and the gipsy moth tree-banding material. A 
band of each kind of material was applied to the same trees, namely, 
shagbark hickory, white oak, black oak, red maple, and white pine. 
Each tree was calipered so that the linear feet of bands applied could 
be figured. 
The sticki 7 material banded 212 trees with an average diameter 
of 7.5 inches. These were applied with a 2-inch wooden paddle and 
were about 2| inches wide and \ inch thick. One hour and 42 min- 
utes were required to scrape the trees and 3 hours and 54 minutes 
to band them, making a total of 5 hours and 36 minutes. Four hun- 
dred and nineteen linear feet of bands were applied out of 25 pounds 
of this material. 
Twenty-five pounds of the gipsy moth tree-banding material were 
then applied with the gun, which molded a band -£§■ inch wide and 
3 7 o inch thick. One hundred and forty-five trees averaging 7 inches in 
diameter were banded. An average of 1.63 pounds was put in 
the gun each time it was filled. Fifty minutes were consumed in 
filling the gun and 90 minutes in applying the bands, or a total of 
2 hours and 20 minutes. Two hundred and sixty-three linear feet of 
bands were applied with the 25 pounds. Xo extra time was required 
or allowed for preparing the trees previous to banding, as only a 
quick rub with the hand is necessary on trees where the bark is loose 
and scaly. 
The prices of materials and labor in 1918 were as follows : Sticky 
banding material in large lots, 34 cents per pound; gipsy moth tree- 
banding material, 7.6 cents per pound; and labor for applying, 40 
cents per hour. Comparisons on this scale per linear foot after bands 
had been applied were as shown in Table II. 
