Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-06-03
Number Of Nests Found, 6S6,
and There Are Others.
Commissioner Gilman Thinks Years
Crops will be Large.
STATE HOUSE CALENDAR.
Next Meeting Of Governor and Council.
Wednesday, June IL.

the New Hampshire line. and tho
State and government forces of scouts
are buslly engaged in hunting out
and DESTROYING the nests of the moths
which have found their way from
Massachusetts into New Uamnshire
and from there over into Maine. That
the forces are doing good work is
shown by the number of nests which
they have found and destroyed.
1t is no child's play, this huntina, out
nests of the worst insect pest that has
ever visited the State, but is good hard
work ana plenty of it, Compared with
it the work of hunting out the nests
Of the brown-tail moth. 1t is nothing.
There may he hundreds of the latter
in locality, but they are easily found
when the foliage has gone from the
trees, and as easily taken and de-
stroyed, hut with the nests of the gipsv
moth it is different.
The female of this moth cannot Hv
and therefore cannot choose the airy
locations in which to deposit her eggs
az can her smaller and more active
sister pest, and being unable to ny she
must content herself with depositing
her eggs in such places as are access
fly that renders the gypsy moth more
to be dreaded than the brown-taiI.
even were its more destructive ouaI-
tiles unConsidered, for its nests arc
much more difficult to find and there
fore the danger Of infestation is in
creased many fold.
Aside from such nests as are dcpOS-
tied on trees the gypsy moth seems to
posses the instinct for placing them in
such spots as would render them safe
from discovery from any ordinary
search that might he made for them
From the experiences of the searching
parties which are now working in the
State it is evident that q favoritc place
for the moth to deposit her eggs is in
the stone walls which arc common
throughout the rural districts Of
Maine. ami in some instances whole
colonies Of nests have been found in
one wall.
Particularly is this true in the case
"f = stnn" vail on the promises of ID.
T.. DonncI in the village Of York,
where total Of y nests was found,
and which is I'll" largest number Of
nests which have been found in a sin
Gle spot sine" Thu men started out on
the hunt carly in III" year. This wall
runs along in front IF Mr.. DnnnclIs
residence" AMI in looking over the
premises the men found two nests on
tree that 81; in the wall. Former cX-
pcricnCCs with stone walls prompted
them To- make n further search and
about 100 feet of the wall WAS taken
down with the result that II more nests
were found III tn wall. y ~ them
being on til" under sid" Of ono big
stone. Another nest was found IN the
bottom 81 an old milk can which had
been discarded and thrown into the
wall
This is only one instance of til" work
which the men have to d. in their eff
forts T. prevent the pest from gaining
foothold in the State. In other 10
calities they have had Ia take up walks
and platforms. take up the fioOringS of
sheds and other outbuildingS, take tin
roofing Oft Of buildings. and in ono
case they had to shovel seven tons Of
coal ont Of q lin To get at the tlooringS
and then shovel the coal back again.
but in each and every instance their
efforts have been rewarded by the
finding IF at least one nest. and often
times several in each place where the
hunt was conducted.
Capt T.. +. Philbrook, the special
field agent in charge Of the work. was
nj the Capitol Saturday. coming di-
rectly from the field of operations. In
conversation with the Journal Capt.
Philbrook stated that the work was
now being carried on in Kittery. Elliot.
York, Wells, Kcnncbunk, Kcnncbunk-
port ana South Berwick and that nests
were being found every day. The
number of nests thus far found and de-
stroyed by the State force of scouts is
l6S and by the government scouts alS-
The nests are destroyed by covering
them with a solution of crcoSOtc, which
kills the eggs.
The work of scouting for the nests
and burlapping the trees will continue
until the middle of the present month";
after which the men Will commence
turning the burlap on the trees Tor the
purpose Of catching and destroying the
caterpillars. The number OF trees
which have already been burlapped is
about COCO and so of these are near the
National Home at Togus.
Hon. A. w. Gilman, commissioner OF
agriculture. was at the department
Saturday and was busy with the duties
of the office In speaking of the out
look for the coming crops while he adj
United that the season was very back-
ward he EXPRESSED himself as very
hopeful Of the ultimate results. me
greatest menace of the cold and back
ward spring he said was to the crop
of sweet corn. The grass is looking
finely and there is every indication OF
a good hay crop. and there will he
says, he plenty of potatoes. But one
man up in the section about FoXcroft.
which is Mr.. Gilman's home town. ana
where he has one of the model farms
of that part of the State, has any po-
tatoes planted, but there is plenty OF
time says the commissioner ana the
potato crop will be n big one. He eN-
pressed himself as much encouraged
regarding the crops Of the coming
season and said that the acreage when
will be devoted to farm crops this year
will be larger than ever before.
Chester C. futile. clerk in the ONCE
IF ha &c