The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1897-06-19
4 COSTLY EXPERIMENT.
STORY OF The BATTLE OF AMERICA
AGAINST THEGYP5Y MOTH.

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1t Has Cost Massachusetts, One Million
Dollars Thus Far to Pay for the Blum
der OF a French Scientist-NatiOnal Gov
crnmcnt Interests Being Protected
So far, says Boston letter to the
New York Times, Massachusetts has
expended over 81, 100000 in attempt
ng to check its ravages on the forests
md shade trees, and the danger is by
10 means disposed Of. It has attracted
The attention Of the National Govern
nent, for in the Agricultural Appro-
9riation bill, which passed both
branches Of Congress, provision has
oeen made, which, it is expected, will
result in the Government Bureau Of
Entomology paying special attention
Ind observation to the methods en-
,loyed in eradicating the Gyksy moth.
rhe labor and money consu.l, ! in this
Undertaking against the Gypsy moth
constitute one Of the most puzzling
problems the entomologists of this
country have ever had to contend with.
In 1869 there lived in Medford L.
rrouyelot, naturalist, who had come
10 Massachusetts from his native city,
PARIS. e was just then deeply intey,
5sted in silk culture experiments, and
had brought from Europe some eggs
If the celebrated Gypsy moth. One
spring morning NJ. Trouvelot, while at
work in his laboratory, situated in an
upper room of his house, was called
away for few moments. A lot Of the
moth eggs lay on a tray not far from
IN open window. A passing breeze
blew the eggs out Of doors.
When Trouvelot returned and found
what had happened, he was greatly
exercised, and had painstaking search
If the yard made, but it was fruitless.
Knowing we'll the dangerous character
If this Gypsy moth, for it's ravages had
:uined thousands Of acres Of European
Forest, the naturalist at once made n
public announcement Of the escape.
No particular attention was paid to the
foreigners warnings, as his neighbors
Knew next to nothing Of "Gypsy
MOTHS" and regarded the talk as prin-
,ipally the exaggerated imaginings Of
nervous Frenchman.
Within twelve years from the time
Of its Introduction the moth had be-
come serious nuisance to those living
near the Trouvelot house, but it was
supposed that the caterpillar was q ma
tive. Its lack Of conspicuous markings,
which to the common eye would dis
tinguish it from other species, and
it's habits of concealment and night
feeding will explain it's anheeded dis
tribution. In twenty FEARS it had
spread into thirty townships. Shade
trees were being stripped as if by fire,
woodland was being destroyed, while
brushland everywhere was covered by
myriads of the creeping, crawling
worms. The destruction was reaching
such a stage that people i'll Eastern
Massachusetts, got into almost y state
Of terror over it, and finally, in 1890,
Governor Bracket, in message to the
Legislature urging that steps be taken
in the matter, used these words:
"a new enemy is at present threat
ening the agriculture, not only Of our
own State, but Of the whole country.
It is the Gypsy moth, said to attack
almost every variety of tree, as well
as the farm and garden crops The
pest is spreading with great. rapidity,
and if its eradication is to be attempted
Immediate measures are of the utmost
Importance"
In March, 1890, q special law was
passed authorizing the organization
Of commission to prosecute the work
Of destroying the moth, and $4,000
was appropriated to that end. A skilled
entomologist and force Of men, act
ing under the supervision Of the State
Board Of Agriculture, soon began
labor, but the territory infested was
found to be sixteen times larger than
at first supposed, and in June $25, 00(
more was appropriated.
In the actual work Of destruction, {
comical feature introduced was the ap
pointment of a dozen special police
men, whose duty it was to guard the
highways Of A1edford and Maiden, te
see that no guilty moth escaped by at
taching himself to passing vehicle,
AS fact, this dignifed espionage was
valuable, for numerous carriages were
peremptorily halted which were GOV
cred with the obnoxious caterpillars
These policemen did yeoman service
The Gypsy moth officers for 1897
had for Chairman The distinguished
Professor N. S. Shaler, Of Harvard
University, and at an early conference
held in Boston G. V. Riley, entomolo
gist Of the United States Department
Of Agriculture, was present. DESPITE
all that was done the previous year i
appeared that the moth was spreading
SO that it threatened to soon overrul
tho Qtoto Tho Gonora1 Aouo,n1,1r co