Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1910-08-17
MOTH PER|LS TREES
Army of CaterpilIars Charge Ups
on Lawns and Public Parks.
Spraying, Individual Destruction and
AutumnaI Precautions Are Recon-
mended by Chicago City Forester
Invasion Last Year.

Chicago.-An invading army of tus-
sock moths has descended upon the
trees of Chicago and its suburbs. Un-
less strenuous methods are adopted
to check the advance of the devas-
tating horde the lindens, poplars ana
willows of parks, driveways and pri-
yate lawns are in danger of being dis
mantled of foliage and ultimately de-
stroyed.
These are not the only members OF
the tree family that the tussock MOTH
has chosen for it's field of operations
The horse chestnut, the dogwood and
a score of other shade producers and
ornamental shrubs that are the pridel
of good citizens also are under at
tack.
Park commissioners have declared
war upon the gorgeous CATERPILLAR
which is the larVa of the tussock motni
City Forester j. H. FROST has issued
a bulletin of warning and advice. Tree
owners in many parts of the city have
appealed to the forester for aid ana
complain that the tussock caterpli+
lar-which represents the ravagfng
stage Of the moths Developments
running over everything outdoors and
even invading homes.
1t may prove of small consolation
to know that the caterpillar of the
tussock moth is one of the most beau
tiful that science is familiar with. IL
has a bright red head; velyety black
back, bordered with rich yellow
stripes; four tufts Of yellow hair
standing upright a little back OF the
head; a pair of long plack plumes'
suggestive of horns, extending for
ward from the head, and a single
plume for tail.
They live upon the green matter OF
leaves and, being gifted with abnor-
NAL appetites, it does not take very
long for a goodly company or the IN
vaders to defollage tree. They are
practically new corners to Chlcago'
though last year they became a source
of danger to the trees of certain sec
lions. This year, however, they sud
denly have become the cause OF dis
may on the South, West and North
sides, while particular complaints
have been heard from the West side
There are just three things to DO
according to the city forester:
Spray the foliage with arsenate OF
lead.
Destroy caterpillars by "squashing3
them.
Gather cocoons and egg masses in
fall and burn them.
~ooOo~o.o-o--~~Oo-~~c-~ ~~~~~~~-c-~-~-~N~~~-o~
poets of better results than were at
one time believed possible. Most of
their schemes show an estimated rev.
enue of three or four per cent, and
for all of these the government of In
dia is now prepared to advance funds.
1T is an irony that the best soil
in this region is in those parts which
are farthest removed from the zones
of regular rainfall In the future this
topsy-turvy arrangement of nature
will be of no consequence. The dry
and thirsty districts of Ahmednagar
and it's neighbors have latent ca
pacity for becoming one of the rich
est wheat-producing tracts in India.
When canals have made the country
independent of the rainfall, even the
Deccan ryot may forget the meaning
Of drought and the pain of turning his
wife's bangles into rupees every third
or fourth year.
Zone of the greatest of the new
projects is the Godaveri river scheme.
This Is nearing completion, and sew
eral miles of it's canals will be
brought into use in the coming mon
soon. The distributing channels will
serve 100000 acres of ground in
Mask and Ahmednagar. The whole
catchment area surrounding the
sources of the Godaveri and its upper
tributaries, the Darna and Kadwa, is
brought under control for the benefit
of the scheme This represents an
area of no less than 160 square
miles"