A ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, 1934 
inspectors checked on all the shipments of plants and plant products entered 
through the customs service from outside the United States and went over the 
ships' stores and passengers' baggage of the ships and airplanes arriving from 
foreign countries. 
DOMESTIC PLANT QUARANTINES 
GYPSY MOTH AND BROWN-TAIL MOTH CONTROL 
CONDITION OF THE INFESTED AREA IN NEW ENGLAND 
During the summer of 1933, defoliation caused by the gypsy moth (Porthetria 
dispar L.) to forest, shade, and fruit trees was considerably in excess of that 
recorded the previous year. Slight to complete defoliation was found on 397,730 
acres, as compared with defoliation on 286,395 acres recorded for the summer of 
1932. In the eastern part of the infested area defoliation was not much more 
severe than that recorded the previous year, but areas of defoliation were found 
much farther west in Worcester County, Mass., than have been recorded pre- 
viously, and some defoliation was noted near the Connecticut River in Massa- 
chusetts; also one small area west of the river in Massachusetts and another in 
Vermont. In Connecticut the largest defoliated area ever found in the State was 
discovered near New London. Losses to tree growth due to defoliation were 
severe, although exact records are difficult to obtain. In the southeastern part 
of Massachusetts serious ldls was caused to cranberry bogs, the owners estimating 
a crop reduction of 16,888 barrels. On the basis of prices obtained for the crop, 
this loss amounted to $151,992. Reports received through June 1934 indicate 
that there are man}' - large defoliated areas throughout the State as far west as 
the Connecticut River and that in the section immediately east of the river more 
serious defoliation is likely to result than at any time in the past. This indicates 
that if the work west of the river had been long delayed the results would have 
been disastrous to the barrier zone. 
The winter of 1933-34 was the most severe winter experienced in the New 
England States for many years. Temperatures were very low, and many gypsy 
moth egg clusters were killed in some localities. Killing was not so extensive 
as has been recorded in some severe winters in the past, and an abnormal fall of 
snow protected large numbers of egg clusters that were deposited close to the 
ground, so that in many infestations sufficient hatching resulted to cause heavy 
defoliation. In a considerable portion of the territory west of the Connecticut 
River in Connecticut the mortality due to excessive cold was not severe. 
SUPPRESSIVE WORK 
Gypsy moth control activities for the year were directed along three main 
lines: (1) Searching for and bringing under control the scattered infestations in 
western New England, both in the barrier zone and between that zone and the 
Connecticut River, (2) eradication activities in the outlying infestations of 
Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and (3) controlling the interstate shipments of 
materials which might carry infestation to other parts of the United States. 
The work done west of the Connecticut River in New England and in New 
York and Pennsylvania, including that done by Civilian Conservation Corps 
camps east of the barrier zone, is summarized in table 1 . 
Table 1. — Summary of work accomplished in gypsy moth control, fiscal year 1934 l 
State 
Woodland 
scouted 
Roadsides 
scouted 
Trees ex- 
amined in 
open 
country 
Egg clusters 
destroyed 
Acres 
55, 919 
935, 437 
422, 584 
423, 775 
54, 475 
Miles 
420 
3,238 
388 
3,142 
2,444 
Number 
147, 663 
819, 025 
173, 199 
1, 639. 144 
1, 326, 587 
Number 

Vermont - - --- -- 
147, 925 
384, 507 
21, 334 
478, 826 
Total . 
1,892,190 
9,632 
4, 105, 618 
1, 032, 592 
1 In addition to the work listed above, 2,597 acres of woodland were cleared of worthless trees and brush; 
nearly 70 miles of barbed wire were erected for temporary use around areas selected for spraying; 109,663 
burlap bands were applied to trees; 268,364 gypsy moth larvae and pupae were crushed under these bands; 
11,537 acres of woodland, 8,272 isolated trees, and 2,763 properties in residential sections were sprayed with 
arsenate of lead. 
