Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-07-03
STATE HOUSE.
broWn-TaiI Moths Re-
ported in York County,
Prof. nItchings Believes 6ypsey
Moths TO Be in Maine.
Co. Y. It Infantry, Has Invitation 10 Visit
: Quebec This Month.
STATE HOUSE CALENDAR.
Next Meeting Of Governor and Council,
Friday. July 20 at 10 A. M.

little has been heard about the
hrown.tafl moth since the early spring
crusade against the pest, and the COM
ing of the foliage concealed from view |
such nests as may have escaped the |
ewes Of the hunters, but now the |
subject is again brought to the |
fore by the reports which have |
been received from York county. |
ana which state that the moth |
is present in great numbers in some |
sections Of the county and is causing |
general devastation. At Eliot Neck in |
particular is this the case, where it is |
said that whole acres of trees have
been devastated, the foliage having
been eaten so clean by the caterpillars
that the limbs are as destitute of any |
thing in the shape Of leaf as they are
in winter.
York county was one of the infested
counties and While the Inhabitants in
some sections of the county We're alive
10 the seriousness of the situation ana
did good work in the destruction of the
winter nests at the proper time, those
Of other sections We're lax in interest,
and the outbreak reported above is
without doubt the result. The out
break in that place alone means a
great increase in the number OF moths
in the State and unless the most deter
mined work is done in the way of eX-
termina ton when the time for the
destruction of the nests comes around
again it means that the situation IN
that section of the county, as well as OF
the sections surrounding it, will be
most serious one.
Prof. F. F. Hitchings the State en-
tomologist connected with the depart
ment Of agriculture, in speaking OF the
report Monday morning. said That ne
should soon make a visit to the lnfeSt-
ed sections of York county, Tor the
purpose of ascertaining the conditions
and should also visit Saco. where the
interest in the destruction OF the nests
was not as manifest as 1t should nave
been. He was not surprised at the
report, and was inclined to consider II
in the light of a natural consequence.
Prof. Hitchings is also OF the
pDinion that the dreaded gypSey moth'
which is much more destructive IMAM
the brown-taii, has also found us
way into the State, and gave as rea-
son for his belief that the pests were
brought from Massachusetts INTO
Portsmouth, \. H., last season. by the
automobiles which came from the lot
mer state, and that as the same auto
mobiles continued their tour mo
Maine. it was but reasonable TO DeleEe
that some of the moths found their way
over our borders. Prof. Hltchils7
will make a thorough investigation me
coming fall of those sections oi INC
State which are the most Ikeiy 70 nc
infested and if the moths have gained
a foothold strict measures VIII o'
adopted to prevent furthef sprcd"
Tho cvnsev moth is much more to
he dreaded than the brown-tall, TOT
while the caterpillarS of the brown-tali
attack near trees. wild cherry. apple
and white oak and sometimes other
trees the caterpillars of the gypsev
moth eat everything in sight. In ms
,ric,s h,dly infested by the caterpillarS
of the gypsey moth no garden Vese-
table except the onion IS Saif-
Flowers and grass are eaten, ana
practically all fruit and forest trees
are refoliated. pines and other CONFER
ous trees diving as the result of 4
sinsl. stripping, and deciduous trees
not being able to withstand a three
Years attack. If these moths should
the northern section of the State the
damage that they would do can hardly
be estimated.
Another feature in connection with
the gypsey moth is that there IS no
such simple and comparatively mex
pensive means of combating them as
with the brown-tails. for they do not
hang their colonies in plan sight all
hut
conspicuous egg stage, the egg clusters
being hidden in any creVice the III
tested area offers. The caterpillars are
more resistent to poison sprays thah
those of the brown-tail moth. and the
problem is in many ways a more d11-
hcult one.
While in Augusta yesterday Pro1-
Hitchings found a very rare specimen
Tor the already large and growing col
lection in the department of en-
tomology. it being q green cockroach.
the first he ever had seen. The bug
was an inch in length, three eighths
or an inch in width. a pale pea green
on the back and silvery white under
meath, and was found on the sidewalk
near the postOffice. There is nothing
IN the chronological works at the de-
partment regarding the insect. and as
lar as Is known it is the first one to be
found in the State. Where it came
from is not known, but Mr.. Hitchings
was of the opinion that from the fact
mat 1t was found not far from the
fruit store in the Opera house block,
1t may have been brought to the city
on some of the fruit.
The Board of Railroad Commits
sioners was at Rockland Monday.
Where the members Went over the new
extension of the Rockland, South
Ihomaston and Owls Head Railway.
Tor the purpose of inspecting il so that
certificate of safety could be issued
Highway Commissioner Sargent
was at the department Monday, hav-
iEg returned from Oakland, where he
addressed meeting of the members
OF Cascade Grange Saturday evening