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break in the southern part of the city where the trees on about half an 
acre were more or less defoliated. About half of the trees were cut 
down and the undergrowth cleared out. Nearly the whole town baa 
been gone over and the eggs destroyed this fall. The proximity of the 
town to the Middlesex Fells renders the occurrence of straggling cater- 
pillars more or less frequent, and the condition of the town at the close 
of the season of 1897 was certainly no better than at the close of 1896. 
MARKLKIIKAJ). 
In the fall of 1896 one small colony was found in the southeastern 
portion of the town, near Swampscott, and two egg clusters were found 
near the center of the town, although in previous years about a dozen 
colonies have been known in different portions of the town. In the 
southeastern colony all of the egg masses which could be found were 
destroyed and the trees cleaned up. It was in tillage land, partly in 
orchard, with willows growing along a stone wall. The trees were 
banded with insect lime in the spring of 1807, and after the larva- were 
hatched the wall and low vegetation were burned over. Burlap bands 
were placed on the trees, and outside of the burned portion 126 cater- 
pillers were found during the summer. Xone were found on the burned 
portion. Outside of the burlap limits two egg clusters were found. 
In the center of the town, where the two egg clusters were found in 
the fall of 189G, not a single caterpillar was taken. 
MEDFORD. 
This is the town in which the insect was originally found, and lias 
contained as many as a hundred colonies in previous years. At the 
present time, outside of the Medford Woods, there are not more than 
three or four spots where the}' are present in any numbers. The central 
and southern part of the Medford Woods maybe said to be rather badly 
infested and the colonies almost continuous. In the eastern and west 
era sections there are by no means as many. In the northern portion, 
near Stoneham, there are only very small and scattered colonies. The 
whole woods will be thoroughly inspected if the means will allow. In 
November, 1897. the worst colonies were in process of treatment. The 
woods were being thinned out and the egg clusters destroyed with ere 
osote. The whole place has been reported in good condition for exter 
minative work next season. A number of the worst colonies have 
already been cleared. 
Mil R0S1 • 
In 1890 it was reported that a large amount of work remained to be 
done in the southern portion of the town, especially in the woodlands. 
This town was well inspected last winter, and in the whole northern 
portion only one colony was found in which the insects occurred in any 
number. Some i)[' the oldest and worst colonies seem to be wiped out. 
