Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1910-03-08
A West Virginia Fruit Grower Tells
of the Ravages of Brow Tail Moth.
[From the Mest Yirpinia Farmer

/ l was invited to make talk at the
meeting of the Jefferson county hortieal.
tural meeting which was held at Charles
| Town Jan nth. This was an all day
meeting of more than ordinary interest.
talked in the forenoon and Mr. II L
Smith gave them avery good hoi ticultural
speech in the afternoon. A good many
OF the fruit growers of Jefferson county
had read the warning given few weeks
ago by our vigilant and ever watchfu
President of the West Virginia State
Horticultural Society (Hon. John |.
Cornwell) concerning the Browntal aud
Gypsy moth, Several of the fruit growers
at the meeting asked me to tell them
what knew and had seen OF these dread
ed insects but owing to rush of business
before the meeting there was not sufficient
time, SO thought It might be we'll to
write up what little know and have seen
of this pest while on my visit to New
England, and perhaps the editor OF the
West Virginia Farmer and Grange ad-
vocate would allow it to come before the
fruit Growers of West Virginia through
the columns of this excellent Journal. 1t
was my good fortune to attend the New
England fruit show at Boston last fall.
On Wednesday night of the meeting
while talking to little crowd of fruit
growers who had gathered round our
little exhibit well dressed. fine looking
gentleman gave me his address aud asked
me to come down TO his Office at 10
O'Clock the next morning. which | did
found this gentleman to be Mr.. Rogers
who had chsrge of the United States
warfare against the Browntail and Gypsy
moths. He has the care of the parks.
boulevards, and highways in and around
the cities and those leading 10 the mag
nificent estates of the New England
millionaire,
Alter a brief conversation he asked
nue. if | would like to spend the day in
the study of these insects as he wanted
to go over the part of the field near Bos-
ton that day where he had 400 men at
work. Of course jumped at the oppor-
tuuity. was IN company with Mr. G. |
K. Cushman Of the Thomson Chemical |
Co.. of Baltimore (who by the way furn-
Ished the most of the arsenate of lead |
used by Uucle Sam in spraying these
public parks and highways for the season
Of 1909 MIR. Rogers ordered his fine
and we were soon off for a |
IS mile ride that told him when we re-
turned at night would do me good as
ong as lived. Our first stop was the
city of Cambridge, Mass. Here was the
nome OF the poet Longfellow. also the
great Harvard University. This city
mas been known for over century as
The city having the most. as well as most |
beautiful elm trees of any city in the
world. The streets Of this lovely city |
nave been for years arched over by these
giant elms, Here l received my first
shock. When asked to look down one
IF these streets which were in the city OF /
Cambridge alone. we saw the wilderness
Of dead. and rotten and broken trees. -
We were told that in all. there were over
100 dead elm trees VIII ich had been orn-
lmeniing that city tor from $50 TO 200
years. and that the city had not only lost
hese beautiful and historic landmarks.
put the falling limbs and debris had be-
come dangerous. so these trees had to be
aiken out and the broken places in the
oavements repaired which would oost in
he neighborhood Of a million dollars.
This awful havoc which made my heart
'lnk within ME, was the work Of the
brown tail moth and the Gypsy moth in
ess than three years time. No one who
owes tree like any of the sons Of old
Nm. 5. Miller do. could look upon a
;cene like this without feeling sad for
what has been done in the past, and also
with resolve to put up a fight for the
future.
When we left Cambridge we travelled
over the North Shore road which took
is by the estates Of the multi millionairs.
We passed by where President Taft
spent the vacation season last summer
and we photographed the lawn Of Mil
ionaire Prick. Along these beautiful
highways the government is keeping
ole hundred feet in with the {, ST trees
On each side all the rest has been aban-
loned on account os these insects We
ound gangs Of men raking up and burn
ng all the dead limbs. leaves and trash
Ia order to get all the insects and eggs.
We saw men with climbers like our tele-
phone aud telegraph climbers use, eoIngl
Dyer these forest trees with little pot. of
sresote and paint brush. Wherever
IN egg mass of the gypsy moth could be
ound. this fine silken mass OF eggs is
lightly attached to the tree and in size
md color looks like the half OF an almond
she'll and contains from 400 to 900 eggs,
hey would paint these little nests with
he cresote. and this meant sure
ieath to the eggs. The Brown tail moth
las very different habits. TheyI
make their nests by twisting or
folding full sized leaves around them