The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-07-18
rs THIS THE GYPSY MOTH?
a DANGEROUS PEST HAS APPEARED
IN THIS STATE.


County or Their lcavea-erent Destruction
Done NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. or tho Pest.
KINGSTON, July 1.-THE great maple sugar
producing orchards Of Delaware county have
been attacked by n caterpillar which suggests In
its general appearance and habits, as well rs
the destruction 1t Is causing, the gypsy moth,
or Porfhctrfd dispdr, that has been dovastat-
ing the forests and fruit orchards OF Middlesox
and Suffolk counties in Massachusetts for the
past eight or nine years. The pests, which in
some instances grow to tho icrtCJh Of throo
inches, but are generally two inches in length
and about as big around as a lead pencil. have
swept over the country in countless millions,
eating every green leaf rom the sugar maple
trees. Thousands of sugar producing trees arc
now drying up and dying, and will find their
way to tho hrewood pile and chair factory before
the ond of the season. The loss to Delaware
county through the killing of its sugar naples
by this caterpillar will DO enormous. 1t takes
fully thirty years for a maple tree to grow large
enough to produce sap for sugar.
The caterpillars were first noticed early In
Juno in the maple woods just west OF the long
side switch on tho Ulster and Delaware Railroad
above Arkville, Delaware county. Very little
attention was paid to them at first by the farm
crs, and some weeks elapsed before anything got
into print about them. About two weeks ago
a country newspaper, published at Marguerite
vile, briefly mentioned the fact that q cater
pillar had appeared which was defoliating the
sugar bush and had also attacked the fruit
orchards and was stripping them Of every leaf.
1t said tho worm was unknown, and had never
been seen In that neighborhood before. This
item was read by q resident Of this city who
was familiar with the ravages Of the gypsy
moth in Massachusetts,, and no notified Prof.
J. A. Lintner. State cntomologist Of the Univer-
sity Of the State Of New York at Albany, and
stated his belief that the stranger was the gypsy
moth. He also communicated with William
X. Sessions, Secretary of tho Massachusetts
State Board Of Agriculture, and Prof. c. II.
Fernald Of the Massachusetts Agricultural Col
lego at Amherst College, both members Of tho
gypsy moth mint of Massachusetts, They
requested him Immediately to mako an OK
haustive investigation and to report to them,
sending with his report live specimens Of the
caterpillar, its cocoon, chrysalis or pupa, and
the butterfly and its eggs II possible.
Secretary Sessions stated in his letter that II
the Delaware county marauder proved to be
tho gypsy moth he was of tho opinion that the
State Of Massachusetts,, which had already
spent $75O.oOO to exterminate the pest, would
probably not care to appropriate any moro
money for the work II It was spreading into
distant parts of the country. Tho probable
cause of its outbreak in Delaware county.
should 1t prove to be the gypsy moth, was be-
lieved to be the distribution of eggs and CO
coons which had adhered to freight cars Of the
Fitchburg Railroad and other lines that run
through the infested district in New England.
and which had 80 been brought up the Ulster
and Delaware Railroad into the Catskill Noun
tains.
The investigator went to Delaware county
last week and examined the infested woods,
securing specimens OF the caterpillar at differ
ent stages of it's existence, which have been
forwarded to Prof. Lintner at Albany and Prof.
Fernald at Amherst College, Massachusetts
The caterpillar, differs IN some particulars from
baya Ey IF i mo' abs sa,s5pliilsiE; wh baSit IS s snd d to-
ticnlars the tlisiocnmpa Americang. or
the ClisiOcdn mp disstrid, or forest tent cater,
pillar, as well, As the gypsy moth; yet its char
spins a web like u tent nor nests in a web tent
in the tree branches like the tent worms. 1t
moves in vast armies like the common army
worm, always in one direction. 1t is fully
four times the size OF the tent caterpillars at
full growth, and is migratory in its movements,
The first place visited by the investigator
was the sugar orchard OF Ely Swart. between
hnrgarcttcvillc and Arkvillc, in q great sugar
tract that covers several hundred acres. Mr..
Swart's orchard includes about sixty acres.
Tho caterpillar had started on this tract near
lht l hHl lbtlh" II llED iillie anu
had made a swath or streak fully half n mile
wide. 1t had swept up the mountain in a wester-
~ direction toward and past Marasrsttevi!ie Tor
hard maple tree. as well AS trees OF several other
species, Of every green leaf, and leaving moth
looked rs II fire had swept through it. There
wasn't q maple tree OF the sugar-bearing kind
p. the nTso sTSrt Place sw that Yira nad o lSsf % on IT; w wl1n
making an attempt to push out now leaves.
The woods were as bare of foliage as in the mid
Few worms were found in the trees which
had been defoliated. but millions of cocoons, in.
and escaped. and Others in which the pupa Was
where; Under the caves Of buildings, under
and crevices Of the bark OF trees, particularly
he sugar NAPLES, under every random stone and
and piles OF brush. were myriads OF cocoons.
that had Been Visited and stripped Of their ION,
| bbfirches. beeches, ironwoods. balm-of-G ilcads,
buttonwoods. sycamorcs. fruit trees both Of the
Eooseberry bushes. had been completely dcto-
lated. while the ground In the orchards was
covered with green and sh T s IF fruit ia dropping
Strange as it may seem. the caterpillars had
not'touched, SO far as could be seen, u single nut
ignored such worthless trees rs the soft naples,
After denuding the maple forest, the fruit
0Feh tSrir f ana the gardens on the S bSd m plSeSs
.NAS az =,
across several other farms, clearing them in
the same manner. Just back OF Marguerite
Vile village, on tho mountain, the worms are
working yet in myriads. while others are pass.
Ing, into the chrysallis state. These will emerge
as butterflies or moths. (which will lay the eggs
that Will produce worms for next season, and
where there were millions this year there will
BIO many more next year.
The caterpillars operate like a vast army Of
soldiers assaulting an enemy's country. They
seem TO be separated into corps which keep to-
gether, and when they move all by some In
stinct go in the same direction, instead of
spreading out on all sides. In attacking a tree
the trunk at the root Is approached by the van
guard and IN a few moments the trunk Is Gov
cred with a wriggl!ng mass OF ,caterpillars
moving, with unenImity toward the branches
containing, the foliage. In a few hours, some
times no longer than two hours, tho tree is
stripped, OF every green leaf, Then a few
are followed by the great army from the tree.
The catcrpillars follow their leaders to a fresh
tree, sometimes crawling to considerable dis
tanee TO ind one not already occupied by a mass
OF their fellows. The ground, the garden walks
and the highways are so fun Of the crawling
mnrauders that thousands, perhaps millions,a are
killed by being stepped on by men and beasts
and.crushed by the wheels OF passing vehicles.
n han In L. --- .nI M 80