Worcester morning daily spy. (Worcester, Mass.) 1888-1898, 1898-01-02
THE BRowN-TAIL MOTH.
CFrom the Boston Transcript.)


Through the inspection that the Massa-
chusetts Board Of Agriculture has made, it
is learned that the brown-tail moth, which
attracted 80 much attention last summer
in Cambridge and Somervlne, has now
spread into towns and cities as far north
as Burlington, and is multiplying with an
alarming rapidly 1t appears that the in
sect has lived in SOmerVille, or its neigh
borhood, many years. though 1t was not
identified until the early part of last May,
for old residents in the infested district
report that they have observed il from
time to time for about five or seven years.
and the members of the gypsy moth com
mission say they have noticed IL during
their work, but have passed 1t by as they
would any species of familiar creatures.
The moth naturally did not thrive Well at
first, as 1t takes several years for insects
generally TO adapt themselves to new sur
! roundings and new conditions and II dld
not spread very rapidly until this year
According to A. H. Kirkland, who studied
the habits of the moth during his laborS
with the gypsy moth commission, 1t was
suddenly scattered throughout the dis
trict last summer He says that on July
u to IA, the height of the flying season.
the electric lights at SomerVMle We're
clouded at midnight by swarms of white
moth. Many Of them were killed In this
way, but on July 10 and ID a southerly
gale swept up the New England coast Il
/ gale of sufficient force to damage shipping.
extent of this unfortunate distribution was
not known until o. A. Hubbard agent OF
the gypsy moth commission, was detailed
by the Massachusetts Board of Agricul-
ture, about eight weeks ago, to begin an in
spection of trses in the infested district,
Mr., Hubbard completed his inspection last
Friday and made his report He has
found the pest in fifteen towns and cities,
viz: Somerville, Cambridge Arlington, Bel
mont, Cha1lestown, Medford, Maiden, Ev-
erett, Winchester Melrose, Stoneham,
]
In all these places he has discovered the
moth on nearly nineteen hundred estates.
and has notified the respective owners or
managers to that effect. Fully one thou-
sand of these estates are in Someryille.
I This inspection was by no means thor
ough, and it was not intended to be. No
means have been provided for it by the
/ legislature, and the Massachusetts Board
/ of Agriculture had to take about $3.50 out
/ OF its incidental office expense fund in or
I der to do what it has done, and thus cur
( tail its purchase of books for its library
! and cut down expenses in other directions.
With sufficient fund at its command, the
board would carry on the inspection much
longer. In many places only few estates
were inspected, enough to establish the
fact that the district was infested. That
such a large number of infested estates
were found in Somervile. as compared
with the number in other places, is partly
because the examination was begun there,
! with the idea that it could be done thort
oughly an through. 1t was a surprise to
find that the moth had spread so extern
siyely. 1t is quite evident, however that
1t has not reached north of Burlington or
south of Charlestown.
4 Upon the discovery of nests Mr.. Hub
/ bard has notified the owner or manager Of
! the premises, called his attention to the
( law of 1897, which saws that at snaa be
/ the duty OF. the owners and managers Of
/ premises infested with this moth to exert
/ themselves perslstently to cOnfine and sup
press it and he has furnished them with
bulletin describing the pest and giving
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