12 
therefore petitioned for an appropriation. Governor Brackett men- 
tioned the outbreak in his message to the legislature, and as a result 
the joint committee of agriculture visited Medford and saw the masses 
of egg clusters on the trees. Finally an act appropriating $25,000 was 
passed. The act provided for the appointment of a commission of three 
persons to take charge of the work. Inspection work was at once 
undertaken to determine the extent of the region infested, and this 
inspection resulted in the establishment of the fact that the moth 
occurred over a much larger section of the country than had been sup- 
posed, and as a result an additional appropriation of $25,000 was made 
early in June. 
In February, 1891, the first commission was removed by Governor 
Eussell and a second one appointed. The first commission had been 
salaried and the second served without remuneration. This commis- 
sion was superseded after a few weeks by the State Board of Agricul- 
ture, on their own recommendation, and in April an act was passed 
authorizing the board to carry into execution all reasonable measures to 
prevent the spread and secure the extermination of the insect. Unex- 
pended appropriations were placed at the service of the board, and on 
June 30 an additional appropriation of $50,000 was made. A map of 
the infested region was the first work of the State board, and it was 
soon found that previous surveys had by no means indicated the com- 
plete distribution of the insect. In fact, the infested area, as it was 
supposed to have been determined in 1890, was at once enlarged by 
this new survey to at least five times its former size. The comparative 
estimates of 1889-90-91 are indicated on the accompanying map (fig 1). 
The survey of 1891 has been practically the basis of the work ever since 
that time, and it is interesting to note that, although a few colonies 
were soon after found in Danvers, Burlington, and South Boston, but 
three localities of infestation have since been found outside of the 
boundaries then laid down. These localities, in Brookliue and Lincoln, 
will be mentioned in a later parn graph. 
The organization of a competent field force was then begun and a 
detailed system of work was decided upon. Professor Fernald, of the 
Agricultural Experiment Station, was appointed entomological adviser 
to the subcommittee of the board in charge of the work. In January, 
1892, the committee recommended an appropriation of $75,000 for the 
continuance of the work, and an act authorizing this appropriation was 
passed on March 1. An attempt was immediately made to destroy all 
egg clusters found on the roads in order to prevent the spread of cater- 
jfillars, and after the eggs had hatched, spraying operations were begun 
against the young caterpillars and the method of burlaping the trees 
was introduced against the larger larvse. The appropriation was not 
sufficient to provide enough men to thoroughly examine the burlaps, 
yet during the summer the officers reported that nine-tenths of the 
insects in places known to be infested had been killed, and in many 
