Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-12-11
N[AINE'S@FIGHT AGAINST
THE DREAD MOTH PESTS.
Ouoosts In York County Making Gallant Fight To
Prevent Disastrous Invasion.

Shapleigh. H. L. Spinney has charge Of
the fifth district, including Portland,
Westbrook Gorham, Buxton. Lyman.
Hollis and Dayton IN this district only
enc town, Gorham, has vet shown any
signs of the gypsy moth, G. G. Nichols,
who has ch;lr:s,. OF the lower part of
York county, is the "tlic!al Stnr" keep
er Of the department. He vas Tor
many years a warden in the fish ana
game department, and has been en-
gagged in this work since 1906.
During the past summer the summer
residents of York bought and paid for
power spraying machine for the de-
paltment, at an expense of $l401 1t is
one of the best machines ever made
for this work, and has done excellent
service.
Thus far this season VIC have eX-
PENDED about $50. 900 in the gypsy moth
work and the l.. :. Government VIII
spend an equal amount. All the work
is done according t, L. $. Government
standards. In the spraying operations
this year about tons of arsenate OF
lead has been used and over 100000
trees were burlapped. Seventy-five men
nave DttIl tllil)loStb uoi'Aio WV ''esAAA
mer months, and these have been on
the Government payroll. At least mil
lion caterpillars were destroyed during
the year by spray and by fire. and as
man, more were taken from under the
burlaps and killed. The worst infesta-
tiop prior to the big one we have found
at Aeamenticus, was in the big lum-
Der pile at the Moulton place, where
50O1 clusters were found and destroyed.
THE work has demonstrated beyond
any possibility of doubt that the Maine
forests can be preserved. If prompt ana
efficient work is done and sufficient
money is available to carry it out. The
parasite has been introduced, and the
work must continue until these para
sites secure the balance of power. Many
varieties of these have been cultivated
in this country, and thus far have sur
vived our severe winters. 1t will be sew
eral years before these parasites will
increase sufficiently to obtain control
of the situation. because the gypsy
moths are already present in such great
numbers. At present we have As men or
work. part of whom are under pay by
the State and a part by the L. S. Gov
eminent. In getting into new territory
we find many new and serious infes-
tations, but we are satisfied the situa-
ton can be controlled and kept within
the limits of the twenty towns now in
tested These towns are Scarbor0.
Saco. Biddeford, Kennebunk, kenne-
bunkport, Wells. York. kittery. Eliot,
So Berwick, No. Berwick. Berwick.
Lebanon, Shapleigh, Acton, Newfield,
WATERFORD, Sanford, Gorham, and AL
fred. 1t is with q great deal of salts
faction that l am able to report that
the infestation which we last year dis
covered at Togus has been SO far as we
are able to tell entirely exterminated.
This is of the greatest importance, for
if the moth has worked from that place
further north, it would have perhaps
been utterly impossible to keep 1t
from the big forests.
81 am satisfied" continued Capt. Phil
brook, chat we have the best system
in Maine of any state which is engaged
in gypsy moth work. We have the best
class of men, many of them being col
lege graduates, and they are thorough