The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1905-11-23
THE BROWN TAIL MOTH,
Waldo County Free from the Pest. What il
due to the Birds

waldo County Free from the Pest. What is
due to the Birds.
To THE EDITOR OF THE JOURNAL: Hav-
ing just returned from ten days tour of
inquiry through most of the towns in Wal
do county relative to the ravages of the
brown tail moth in this locality during the
summer, by order of Commissioner Gilman,
thought that perhaps the readers of The
journal would be pleased to know what
found, and more pleased to learn what did
not find in relation to that pest; and am
also pleased to give what information |
possess. On the I'd day of November
after the trees had shed most of their
leaves, so that | could make a careful
search and be able to make comprehen-
sive report to the commissioner of agricul-
ture, started out and visited 81 towns in
the county. Having driven about $50 miles,
and looked over trees by the thousands, |
an pleased to state that | found but three
nests of the brown tail moths, and that but
one moth was seen by any one in the coun-
ty, and that one was captured in Searsmont
village. The three nests were found on
elm trees last Monday in the town of Lin
S"ii''AiiN. Ill ONC1y pldCC Wuclc L IOuuu
nests of the moth last spring not vestige
of them was found. Last spring they
were found in numbers on the farm of
f. c. Dow in Belfast. Mr.. Dow in.
formed me last week that he had
kept watchful lookout for them all
summer and had made diligent search for
the nests this fall and found no indications
of z
Belmont, Swanville and Searsport, where
nests were found last spring. l did not
visit 1slesboro, where several nests were
found last spring, for want of time, but
from information cleaned from there it is
presumabe that the conditions are the
same there as in other towns.
l also visited several towns in the north
ern part of the county where did not 60
last spring for want of time. In all these
towns l saw no indications of the brown
tail moth, or person who had ever seen
one. l also found that while large ma
jority of the people know next to nothing
about the brown tail moth-and appeared
to care less, with the exception of swearing
about the ppropriation-th there is respect
| able minority in each locality that is inter-
ested and they say that they are much more
pleased to pay money in order to know the
moths are not in the county than to learn
that it is overrun with them as are York
and Cumberland counties.
will now give what in my opinion is the
reason for their nOn-appearance in this coun-
ty. 1t is this: We are indebted to the birds,
not only for the absence of the brown tail
| moth. but for the dsannearapce the tent
| caterpillar, the squash ana cucumber bugs
| and nearly all other insects. The absence
of these pests has been noticed by nearly
every farmer throughout the county. They
have also observed a great increase in the
number and variety of the birds that were
with us last summer. We all remember the
caterpilars that appeared among us last
August like the frogs of Egypt They were
on every mans door. They came upon US
as thief in the night. But they also dis
appeared very mysteriOusly; as to where
they came from ! have no knowledge,
neither do have any personal knowledge
as to where they went; but have theory
as to where they went, which is this, down
the outlets of the birds. do not come to
this conclusion by reason of any guess
work, but from the observations of several
reliable persons, one of whom will quote
While in conversation with Mr.. Charles
Morrill, at Belmont Corner last week in re-
lation to the brown tail moth he said that
one morning last summer he found one of
the large elm trees in his front yard was