22 .\NNrAL KKI'OKTS OF nKrAU'lMKNT OF A( iUlCULTUKK. VSM 
tlic iin'tliod of ajiplu-at i<»M i»i(t\i'(l to be <jUH.'kt'r and cIkniiht than ordinary 
^.round spraying, and c-iTtaiii of the materials IcsIimI were more cllVctive than 
when tlio same ehemit ais were ai)i>lied l»y the ohJ methods. 
GYPSY MOTH AND BROWX-TAIL MOTH CONTROL 
(iypsy moth and hrown-tail moth suppression and control work has been 
continued throughout the year. The reguhir funds have been supplemented by 
allotments from the Works Progress Administration amounting to $J,Ol:0.000 
for gypsy moth work in Vermont, Massachusetts. Connecticut, New York, 
Now Jersey, and Pennsylvania, and $477.r>ui> for work on the brown-tail moth in 
the New ^]ngland States. These funds have been exi^Mided under the regula- 
tions of the W. P. A. and 1K; percent of the men employed were taken from 
relief rolls. The number of men on thes(> projects tliroughout the year averaged 
2,4t>2 on the gypsy moth proj(>ct and l.a'M on the brown-tail moth project. 
The work on tlie gypsy moth project was rather ccjntinuous throughout the 
year, whereas on the brown-tail moth project only a few men were employpil 
until late in the fall, after which the force was maintaine<l at a maximum 
throughout the winter. Cooperation with the States concerned in carrying 
on the work and in furnishing supervision in some of the territory has been 
continued much the same as during the previous year and this has made 
possible the coverage of a much greater portion of the territory where work 
is needed than would otherwise have been the case. 
Work was continued in Vermont. Massachusetts, and Coiniecticut by men 
detailed from C. C. C. camps, principally between the barrier zone and the 
Connecticut River. It was directed from the office of the Bureau at Greenfield. 
Mass. Additional work was carried on from C. C. C. camps ])y the State 
conservation department in New York. All of this work was i)lanned so as to 
avoid duplication of effort by the Federal. State, and local agencies who were 
engaged in gypsy moth and brown-tail moth control. 
In cooperation with the Division of Control Investigations of the P>ureau. 
improvements have been made on various types of machinery and erpiipment 
ii.sed in field work. Among these was the develoi)ment and adaptation of a 
machine for reducing brush and slash to sawdust and fine shavings in order to 
eliminate the fire hazard of burning such material after clean-up work hmX 
been done. 
On acount of the finding of gypsy moth colonies in areas remote from a 
water supply, spraying machines capable of developing l,r>00 pounds' working 
pressuie with suitable hose and fittings needed for this purpose have l»een 
secured, and this has made possible the spraying of areas in some cases as 
much as 12,()(K> feet from the point where the sprayer is set up at the water 
.supply. 
Special attention has been paid in removing tree growth in forest areas to 
see that the species not favored by the gypsy moth or only partially favore<i 
are given preference when this work is done, and an attempt has been made 
to encourage sprout growth of resi.stant si)ecies that developed following 
general thinning operaticms. In limited areas the growth is such that perma- 
nent protection from cypsy moth is possi]>le by following these methods, but 
in .sections where favored growth predominates intensive treatment work is 
necessary. This is particularly true in the territory where th(^ bidk of the- 
gypsy moth work is being carried on. as the extermination of the insect or its 
immediate reduction to such numbers as to prevent spread to other parts of 
the ITnite(l States is the main purpose of this project. Other improvements 
in methods and e<|Mipment designed to n'duce the cost of op<'r:ilion are being 
dev(>]ope(l on this project. 
Weather conditions during the winter, coii'^idering the territory as .-i whole, 
were favorable for this type of work. The snowfall was below normal aiuF 
the tr'mi)eratures were not excessively low. This made possil^le the examina- 
tion of an unusually large .icreage and the ch an-up of many infestations which 
if would have been impossibh' to reach had inclement wt-ather and deep sn«t\\- 
im])edcd the progress of the work. The mild we:ither in many stations reduee<l 
the normal gypsy moth mortality in the egg stage, and owing to the absence of 
lat«' frosts or c<tnfinuous rain during the hatching .reason the larvae in many 
areas su-fTered little mortality from natural causes. During the m<iuth of 
June, when the hulk of the spraying work is carricMl on for gypsy moth control. 
weatlH-r conditions were less favorable f(»r the work than at any tiini* for many 
