St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1890-07-31
Gbe Californian.
FIGHTING THE GYPSY MOTH.

The progress made by the state OF
Massachusetts in its fight with the
gypsy moth is thus described by the
Boston Herald: 1.-The commission
ers were appointed on March 10,
and on the Monday following (the
Fl 24th) began their work in Medford
Centre with a force of twelve men,
burning the nests of the moth wher-
ever found. destroying the eggs on
III the trees. and. in fact. making search
III for the insect wherever it was
III thought likely to be found, and de
III stroying it in the forms existing. AT
# first ii was thought that only trees
were infected, but it was soon found
VI that the pest had found means of
IA protection from the weather and dis
# turbances on fences, in the underpIn-
HI nings and caves of houses, under the
III clapboards or shingles of old build
III ings, and that the inside Of dog and
hen-houscs, and, in fact, all places
II where Seclusion and protection under
Il ordinary conditions were afforded
n were awaited of by the moth for pur-
n poses of perpetuation. After the
ID work had progressed for short
il time, and it was found necessary by
Fl the commission to enlarge its opera
II tons, 1T was realized that consider
81 able area outside of the town of
a Mcdford was infected by the pest
The first outside discovery was of
a large colony of the moths i'll Maiden,
4 principally in the territory adjoining
Il MedfOrd, where it was found that
II fully as large settlement as III the
Halter town existed. The moth was
III followed across the Maiden river,
* where the army of invasion spread
hi from the grounds of E. S. Converse
III where they were found in great num-
H bers-lOwn along the river into and
II through Everett-even visiting the
II poor farm on their marclI-and
II across Everett to Chelsea, over
HI which city they had spread quite
III generally. Eastward from the Con
Al verse place III Maiden, the moths
W have penetrated to MaplewoOd and
IA into Linden, where Mr. Bradley
III found evidence of their existence even
II as late as Sunday last. The spread
II AfrOm Medford iii other directions has
n been first into Somerville, following
u anostIy the line of the Mystic river,
Il and then northward into Winchester
e land Stoneham, and westward into
Il A rlingtOn. In StOneham, however,
& Ithe moths have as yet appeared III
only a few places, and their existence
3 there shows the danger of their
n spreading still farther unless checked.
The territory in which the gypsy
A moth has been found land search has
been made outside of it without re-
Sulting i'll finding any indication of
" he peSt covers an area of about
n Fifty square miles. and work in it has
NJ been of Il most arduOus and trying
~ ma ture, involving an increase in the
~ force employed from time to time, as
N the territory expanded, from the .
III men originally started with to 1O5
men and 9 One-horse teams, which
latter arc employed to carry. the
II water hogShcadS, hose, and sprink
IA ling appara tuS, tools, and the prOvi-
N sion of paris green with which to
HI spray the trees on which the cater
Il pillars are found A pound of paris
II green is used to 100 gallons of water,
II and the men who use the hose are
Il provided with rubber coats, hats,
Il and gloves to protect them during
Il the operation of spraying. In few
N cases the application of this poison
Il burning of the leaves, but new foil
Fl age will be sure to replace them i'll all
. ceases. To give an idea of the extent
sof the spraying done, it may be stat
II led that already about three tons of
n paris green have been consumed i'll
7 the work, the destroyers being care
n full to label all trees operated on with
HI red label explaining that poison
VI had been employed upon them, with
II the word poison printed i'll very
II large letters.
III The whole of the district named
has been gone over by the employees
n Of the commission twice, and some
VI parts of it three times. 1t has been
M decided to spray the trees for about
Il a week longer, and then resort to
ri scraping off and burning the cater
HI pillars, which tend to cOngregate i'll
II swarms upon the trunks of the trees.
To show how difficult it is, nOtwith-
II standing the thorough work done,
ito stamp out the pests, it may be re-
lated that few days ago Mr.. Brad
lev visited GlenwOod, in Medford,
where the insect first appeared, to
investigate report that they were
4 still there He hitched his team I'M
der tree and proceeded to investi-
gate, and, while absent only short
n time, he found on his return seven
Il caterpilIars on the cushion of his
A buggy, and on looking up into the
d overhanging tree discovered Il large
d nest of the caterpiIlars. A few nights
after, while in an apothecary store
II in Medford, one of the caterpillars
# was found crawling on his coat
M where it came from he could not even
III guess This shows that men and
III teams may be made vehicles of carry
III ing these pests to new districts, and
the absolute necessity of the most
thorough work being done in regard
to their determination. The COM
mission has already expended in the
work about $25, 600
IL SCIENCE AND PRACTICE
\ college graduate once came to
me with fIoIIreS from textbooks