The Comrade. (Winnfield, La.) 1890-1914, 1910-09-02
j|IY RUU1S MOTHS
Chicago Forester Urges Citizens
to Act Individually.
Trees and Foliage in Many Parts OF
City May Be Destroyed Unless I'M
mediate Steps Taken to
Destroy Insects.

Chicago.-Trees and foliage in many
parts of Chicago may be destroyed by
the tussock moth unless citizens them
selves, take steps to exterminate the
pest. This situation became clear the
other day when Milton ]. Foreman,
member of the finance committee OF
the city council, said that. although he
was willing to urge an appropriation
at the special council meeting to assist
CITY Forester FROST in his fight against
the pest, he doubted whether such an
appropriation could be made legally.
Meanwhile, the moths are busily at
lacking the trees The hot, dry wealth
er this year has developed second
brood" of them. The most effective
time for destroying these is when the
larvae are on the foliage, which will
be in two weeks or two weeks and
half Then spraying with arsenate Of
lead will kill 80 per cent Of the Sec
ond brood. Spraying before or after
that time would be Of little use, com.
paratively, according to City Forester
Prost.
~ should be willing to urge an ap-
preparation for discriminating the
MOTHS" said Mr.. Foreman, "but I
think such an appropriation would be
| illegal.
You see, as l recall it, the statute
provides no appropriations must be
made by the city council except in the
case of an emergency. This cannot be
called an emergency legally because
the trees do not belong to the city.
If a man appeared to spray citi-
zen's trees, the latter might we'll ask
him by what right he did it. If he
has the right to spray tree, why
might he not have the right to walk
into the back yard Of your house and
spray your carrots?"
In pointing out the depredations of
the tussock moth Mr.. FROST indicated
that the city might have the right to
spray the trees on tho ground that the
moths had become a nuisance and
threatened public health.
In north state near Delaware
place." said he, "the moths are so
thick that they are getting into the
houses. Such a condition cannot be
healthful.
1.-THE moths especially attack the
high-grade trees-the lindens, the will
lows and the Carolina poplars. The
time to do the spraying is when it will
do the most good. This will be when
the larvae Of the second brood will
be caught on the foliage.
| "This department has had but {
small appropriation, and that has
been for trimming the trees. Ever
then we have no wagon to carry lad
ders and necessary tools to the place
[ where the work Is to be carried on
We have no means of getting around
except on the street cars. l have
asked for an auto truck to carry oul
ladders and pruning tools.
1--WE have accomplished grea
deal, but we have very little none,
| for our work. have received hun
dreds Of letters in regard to the moths
but l am practically helpless. l
would take great deal of money
| $4,000 at the outside-to do the worl
| effectively.
"A spraying outfit costs about s40O
The material for spraying would cos
5000 or $500 more for each outfit.
I'm Boston they have twelve spray
ing outfits throughout the city. I,
other cities in the east the work i
carried on effectively. There tn
gypsy moth, or some other variety, /
producing the same havoc among tn
trees that the tussock moth is in thi
CITY,"
>>~~--~~~>~o~~~>~~-~~-~ ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS