The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1894-03-31
THE GYPSY MOTH.
eome Singular Taots About =
Deadly Enemy to Treoa


y :
acre Of Massachusetts,, who lad never
had the pleasure of meeting with
gypsy moth, since the frivolous crca-
ture had not journeyed into the old
Bay state 1T the time. according to the
New York Sun. sent word TO q friend
in the far-away land, the home of the
insect, saying: Please send me .
gypsy moth right away; want to look
at him; want to study him" So the
friend, who was an obedient chap.
went into his garden, and with no
trouble caught gypsy moth, one of
large band of moths who were en-
camped there and had eaten about
everything in the neighborhood ex-
cept the house and toughest part of
the fence, and he put him in ven
tilated box and mailed him to the en-
tomologist in Massachusetts.
The gypsy moth arrived safely 1t his
destination, and the scientific sharp
went to work with his 5acknife at his
cage to disentomb him He >was %
lively that he easily stood On his head
and scraped his hind lees together in
the air, 90 that the wise man'rdight
know, perhaps, that he was glad to
know him. He was Just n lively after
he had been carved out Of his mummy
case, but the entomologist was light
fingered also, and he expertly caught
his visitor By his tailfeathers and then
went out on his voranda TO scrutinixe
him in . strong light through his mag
nifying glass. But the gypsy moth
WAS smarter than the scientifac man.
evidently very much smarter. and he
hadn't travelled over land and water
several Thousand miles to be stuck ON
. pin and to make An chronological
Roman holiday. He bided his time,
and; when the learned man had dipped
him over on his back, holding him still
by the tail, but with slightly slack
ened grip, and was about to chuck his
microscope down upon him, presto! he
suddenly gathered himself into knot.
spasmodically yanked himself away
from the glass, slid down to the vor-
anda door and was of into the garden
in jiffy. The scientific man gaped It
him incredulously for an instant and
then set of along the garden walk and
across the green sward, treading down
sweet peas and clover blossoms in .
perfectly futile endeavor to recapture
him. That gypsy moth got entirely
away and never came back, and keen
and sore was the disappointment Of
the entomologist thereat.
Sore also has been the disappoint-
ment of the old Bay state therefor
ever since the luckless escape of the
gypsy moth took place . number of
years ago. But though he Is gone he
is by no means forgotten. The gypsy
moth of the scientific man followed tho
Biblical injunction: Multiply and re-
plenish the earth," and the point OF
this history is in the fact that that lit
tie incident by which the entomologist
let 60 the tail-festhers Of his gypsy
moth has cost the state Of Massachu-
setts over two hundred thousand dol
lara in the last four years Soon after
the gypsy moth got away the Bay state
had to appoint . state commission,
whose business it was to 60 and hnd
him, together with his progeny, and
the commission found him easily and
in q large majority. Each year now they
keep on looking for and finding him in
steadily augmenting horde. Ne
trouble 1T ell. He is always on deck.
Last years work Of the commission,
according to Springfield paper, ''in-
cluded the examination of four million
trees and the destruction OF forty-six
Thousand ono hundred egg clusters,
al belonging to the gypsy moth. and
over one million caterpillars. Now -
comments the same journal. IAN ap-
preparation OF one hundred and sixty
thousand dollars with which to find
and fight the gypsy moth Is asked. and
it Is . choice between constant fight to
the determination and the loss ON the
other hand of something like one mill
lion dollars yearly by the ravsges OF
the pest" -