NORTH SHORE BREEZE 
MANCHESTER, MASS., FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1908. 
$75,000 NEEDED FOR MOTH WORK ON NORH SHORE 
This Winter and Coming Months. 
Past Work will Have Been in Vain if not 
Continued Along Practically the Same Lines as Last Winter and Spring. 
That work must be done in the woods 
along the North Shore again this winter 
and the coming spring months is shown 
by a report just issued by Supt. A. H. 
Kirkland of the state moth commission. 
The report says: 
““T have personally looked over the 
infestations in this section in company 
with Messrs. Worthley, Hatch and Phil- 
lips, and Mr. Phillips has supplied me 
with quite accurate data concerning the 
acreage of the various colonies which he 
has measured by pacing. ‘These esti- 
mates include the necessary work in all 
the important woodland colonies. 
There are certain minor _ infestations 
known and probably more will be dis- 
covered as the work progresses, and an 
allowance has been made for their treat- 
ment. 
““ The success which has attended the 
spraying operations of last summer _ indi- 
cates the desirability of making use of 
this method of work so far as possible in 
future operations. Where a year ago 
the trees bore egg clusters literally by 
thousands, today they can be found only 
by dozens. It is apparent that the spray- 
ing of last season reduced the number of 
the moths in the areas treated from 80 to 
90 per cent. 
“Tt will be desirable to spray again all 
the areas which were thinned out last 
winter, and if this is done but little creo- 
soting or banding will be required, al- 
though the latter method can be used _ to 
advantage in a few sections. 
“Tt is desirable, to protect the work 
already done as well as to suppress the 
important colonies, to considerably ex- 
tend the thinning of the woodlands dur- 
ing the coming winter and spring, and 
for this purpose a force of fifty to 
seventy-five choppers can be well em- 
ployed throughout the entire winter. 
‘* It will be desirable also to purchase 
four more large power sprayers in order 
to do the necessary spraying quickly and 
economically when the season arrives.’’ 
What Col. Sohier Says. 
In commenting on this report Col. 
Wm. D. Sohier of Beverly, who has 
taken a great interest in the suppression 
of the moth in this district, says: 
“*TIn the woods directly back of West 
Beach Hill, Beverly Farms, and West 
Manchester, covering territory in Bev- 
erly, Wenham and Manchester, are very 
large colonies whica will inevitably de- 
stroy all that section of woods if not 
treated this year. Over six hundred 
acres of territory in that section must be 
cared for this year if those woods and 
the trees between them and the North 
Shore estates are to be saved. Some of 
this has already been cleared for spray- 
ing. But it must be sprayed next season 
if the work done is to amount to any- 
thing. “There are about 385 acres to be 
cleared, and about 350 which should be 
sprayed. ' According to the estimates of 
Superintendent Kirkland, about $15,000 
is needed for clearing and spraying, and 
about $4000 for spraying on land already 
cleared. If the $4000 is not raised for 
the land cleared we will not attempt to 
do anything, feeling that it would be a 
waste of money. 
““ Tt is essential that the whole work 
be done under one contract by some 
recognized authority, regardless of town 
lines. Todo this the cooperation of 
the state, towns and the summer resi- 
dents is necessary. It might be said that 
all the money raised is to go through the 
office of the state auditor. “The com- 
mittee in charge of the work is doubtful 
what to do this year, because from the 
point of view of spending the state’s 
money and in justice to the subscribers 
to the fund, there is no use in going 
ahead with halfway measures. The 
work must be done not to benefit individ- 
ual owners of North Shore property, but 
to beneht the community as a whole. 
Last year, when we had $30,000 to 
spend, and made it do the work of 
$50,000, we suffered under the disad- 
vantage of not knowing the territory as 
we know it now, scouts and experts 
having gone over most of the area last 
season. 
“Tf a thousand acres are not taken care 
of this season the moths will spread over 
more than five times that space in another 
season. “The colonies thinned out in 
condition for spraying should be ex- 
tended. This work can be done in the 
winter. [he surrounding of scattered 
egg clusters will prevent their spreading. | 
There are on the North Shore about 
1420 acres so thickly infested that they 
should be prepared this winter for spray- 
ing next spring. 
““Some time ago we asked Superin- 
tendent Ki kland to prepare estimates of 
the amount of work to be done, and the 
probable cost, through the woods in 
Hamilton, Wenham, Beverly, Man- 
chester and Essex. His statement gives 
details of the location of each colony of 
gypsy moths, and the cost of suppression. 
It is estimated that for cutting and clear- 
ing and spraying next season about 
$55,000 will be required. Then about 
$20,000 more will be required for new 
plant and work on lands already sprayed, 
making the total cost about $75,000. 
One thing is certain: that if the forests 
back of the North Shore are not taken 
care of, it will be impossible to save the 
forests on the fine estates and the lands 
along the shore, and the owners of this 
property, who are taking care of their 
own trees, will find that they have spent 
a great deal of money uselessly. The 
preservation of the whole North Shore 
forest area is at stake and not only this, 
but the value of the work already done 
is to be made apparent by keeping on in 
the lines in which we have already 
started.’ ’ 
Asst, Supt. Worthley Says. 
Assistant Supt. L. H. Worthley, who 
was in charge of the work on the North 
Shore during the present year, says that 
the colonies spread so rapidly that if 
nothing is done this year it will be almost 
impossible to save the trees except within 
small confined areas. The large estates 
will be overrun by moths from the 
woods back of them if they are left alone, 
and the general defoliation of the North 
Shore will be only a question of time. 
There is a bad colony of about 15 acres’ 
around Chebacco lake, and there are 
other areas equally infested which ought 
to be prepared this winter for spraying 
next season. ‘There are fifteen located 
colonies in Manchester alone which re- 
quire treatment. In Hamilton there are 
eight colonies, comprising some forty- 
one acres which ought to be treated. 
In Wenham there are 128 acres to be 
cut and sprayed. In Essex there are 
sixty acres requiring treatment and _ six- 
teen acres of old work to be cared for. 
In Gloucester the total new work is 
about sixty acres. In Beverly, which is 
the largest area, there are 759 acres of 
old work to be sprayed, and there are 
718 acres which ought to be cut this 
winter and prepared for spraying next 
season. 
The First Annual Boys’ Conference 
and Third Annual County Convention 
of the Young Men’s Christian Associa- 
tions of Essex County will be held at 
Groveland, Mass., December 5 and 6. 
A very interesting program has been pre- 
pared. All sessions are open to the 
public. 
Why not have your Printing done at the 
office of THE BREEZE PRINT? 
