The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1896-08-13

Is in two parts. the first prepared By
Edward II. Furbush. and the second by
Charles II. Fernald. Mr.. Furbush Is
the field director In charge OF the work
OF destroying the moths and their
eaterpillars and eggs. and Mr.. Fernald
Is the professor OF zoology In tho
Massachusetts, Agricultural college.
and eniomologist OF the state board Of
agriculture and the Hatch expert
mental station.
In Europe the gypsy moth and rs
destructlyeness are well known over a
considerable area. but fortunately for
this country Il never has obtained a
toothold here outside Of a llmlied dis
trict In Massachusetts,. and there az an
expense OF hundreds OF thousands OF
dollars bids fair soon to exterminate II
on this side OF the ocean. It's intro
duciion into this country IL believed to
have been due 10 the accidental escape
Of insects which we're brought here for
experiments by a naturalist In 1865 or
1869.
Al that time Leopold Trouvclot. an
artist and naturalist and astronomer.
from Paris was living near Glenwood.
Medford. just outside Boston. He was
experimenting In raising silk from
Americas native silk worms. and he
introduced a member Of European spc-
Giles Of sllk-spinning worms also.
Among these were some gypsy moth
eggs. Mr.. Trouyelot. being aware OF
the dangerous nature o; the moth. gave
notice Of the escape. but Il was not
until 20 years after that the people OF
Mediord realized what pest was
among them. It's rayagcs had been
noticed before IN Isolated spots. but
had been attributed 10 come kind OF
native insect.
In 1883 the caterpillars appeared In
such numbers Ia Glenwood and In
parts Of Mediord that they stripped the
trees Of foliage. and armies OF them
were seen marching together 20 new
fields for food. In June and July OF
that year they we're so numerous that
boys slid on the sidewalks over their
crushed bodies. and nobody could ven
ture outdoors without getting covered
with the worms. which dropped from
the treea After public attention had
been directed 20 them thus they wer,
recognized. Il was found that they hal
spread into thirty townships. Ia eacl
place they were found In isolated aol
onies The spreading Of the pei i,
supposed TO have been accomplished
mostly through the agency OF man. the
worms or eggs being carried from
place TO phase on fruit and along the
lines Of railroads or carriage roads.
Wherever the worms appeared In
numbers they ate everything that was
green except the leaves OF the horse
chestnut trees and grass 4 large part
Of the population Of Medford turned
out to hght the plague. ard In the
evenings. wh,n the men came home
from work. boEfres could BE- seen In
many parts Of the town whore caler-
pillars we're being burned. The people
OF Medford Get men 20 work al the
towns expense 10 destroy ihs moth.
and finally they appealed to the STATE
legislature for help. The state appro-
priaied $4,000 in 1890. and a commits
sion was appointed to do the work.
They sprayed infested trees with PaI
green, cut and burned tress and bush
In other places, and killed the clr
tered worms on other trees With kerd-
sene torches. but their Efforts were
comparatively puny. for Il was soon
learned that fity square miles OF Land
bad been infested.
In 1891 the work NSs put mo the
hands OF the state board OF agriculture
and $4,000 was appropriated. In 1899.
$4,000 was appropriated and the work
was carried on over more extended
area. The appropriation was lncross,
to 100000 IN 1898. and the total su
which had been expended In nghuI
;his insect up to January l. 1894. W.
nearly s250.O0o.
Another 100000 was appropriated n
1894. and $4,000 In iS95. 50 that Up
to the beginning Of this year the gypsy
moth had cost the state half a million
dollars directly, besides an the damare
Il had done In infested districts. In
looking at the pictures CT the gypsy
moth In It's various stages Ct life and
az specimens OF both sexes. nobody
would suspect that they had any rela-
would suspect tha; any relationship
| nNL-I.L ~ -. H..