Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-12-13
STATE HOUSE.
Henry 7. Morse Made
Coroner for Augusta.
More About Spread Of the
BroWn.Tail Moths.
The Municipal Judssships-Depart ment
Notss-Nsvs Corporations.

by the death of J. F. Bean of this city.
There were several candidates for the
position and much interest has GEN.
tered in the appointment. Mr.. Morse
was formerly city marshal of the city
and has served as deputy sheriff for
many years. He is we'll known in all
parts of the county and eminently quail
afied for his new position.
Since the publication in the Journal
of partial report of the results Of
Miss Patch's investigation of the pres
ence of the browntail moth in Maine
letters have commenced to arrive at
the department of agriculture, some
asking for information regarding the
insect. and others telling of it's de-
structiveness. One gentleman, who has
seen the ravageS which the moth has
committed in Massachusetts. thinks
that the people of the State of Maine
do not consider its presence in the
State in q light sufficiently serious and
believes that something should be done
at once to get rid Of 1t. before it is
more firmly established and before the
fruit trees and forests are denuded Of
| their foliage.
of New Hampshire, said, in a bulletin
| issued by the New Hampshire College
| experiment station in February. 1904, in
regard to the invasion of that state by
the moth and which will hold equally
true in Maine:
There is in fact great danger Of its
being carried by electric cars, railroad
trains. automobiles and vehicles gen.
| orally to other parts of New Hamp-
shire, so that there is abundant occa-
sion for every citizen Of the state to be
OH the alert to suppress the pest at its
first introduction. In case like this
| a stitch in time will save many times
| nine, for from a single colony, this
year. there may easily be a hundred
next year and ten thousand the year
following.
During the period when there are
| no leaves on the trees, the winter nests
| of this insect are easily recognized.
They are composed of compact masses
of leaves fastened together by a firm
silken web and inside these leaves
there will be found two hundred or
more small. brOwnish caterpillars.
| These leafy nests are especially likely
| 40 be fastened to the ends of branches
and are very conspicuous.
| When spring comes the little caterpil-
| lars leave the nests at the times when
they wish to feed. crawling down the
twig to reach the nearby foliage. They
return 20 their nests at night and when
| not feeding, so that in the spring of
! the year when the leaves are coming
out, if one wishes to pick off the nests.
one should be careful to do it at Il
time when the little caterpillars are
present. But there is no excuse for
waiting until spring to remove the
| nests.
These caterpillars continue to feed
ard grow until about the middle of
June. Each then spins around itself
silken cocoon, the cocoon being at
tached to some convenient shelter.
commonly the leaves of the food tree
Inside these cOcOOns the caterpfllars
change to the peculiar whitish moths
, with a tuft of brown hairs at the end
Of the body OF the females. which gives
them the common name, brown-tail
moth.
These moths lay eggs in clusters OF
two or three hundred each on the
| leaves, generally near the ends OF
branches and the latter part OF the
summer these eggs hatch into small
caterpillars which feed upon the leaves
forming gradually the protective mass
which remains upon the trees through
the winter. The caterpillars remain in
side the webbed leaves and thus wait
until the advent of the following
spring.
The caterpillars Of the brown-tail
moth feed upon a great variety OF fruit
and shade trees. At times they become
frightfully destructive and their pres
ence in many of the Massachusetts
towns has been recognized as grave
public danger very place where col
ony becomes established will serve as
a center Of infestatiOn for new era
so that Il is Of vital Importance that
lookout be kept and at the first sign OF
the insect the outbreak be checked.
LAS a remedial measure the advice
given is to cut and burn the nests.
Preferably, a stove should be used for
burning the nests. as they are very re-
sistent and must be thoroughly con-
sumed to be sure that the caterpillars
are dead. In the spring, when the
leaves have come out, the caterpiliars
NAV be killed by spraying with
arsenate of lead. but it is better TO
check the outbreak in newly Unrest
ed community by the winter treatment
recommended above"
The Maine State Sanatorium Asso-
citation will meet at Portland, today
the meeting to be held at the Lafayette
Hotel. Among those who will attend
from this city are DR.. A. c. Young
secretary Of the State Board of Health
and Gen. Selden Conner.
Another remainder of the approach OF
the legislative season became evident
at the State House. Monday. with the
nesting of the cards around the build
ing announcing the headquarters Of the
different committees. The work was IN
charge of Carpenter Stone and he was
ablv assisted by w. H. Holmes.
crew Of men from ,Taber. Carey &
Reds began, Monday. the work OF inn
nrovement in the marble closet on the
/ second floor of the State House. The
| sa.o;,s of the work to be done were an