Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1912-01-31
BRowN-TAIL MOTHS.
State Department OF Agricultural
Sends Out Circulars.

i SbHtS ASCPhNthG1N VI hkFlCulyuEAI
Sends Out Circulars.
The State department OF agriculture
last Friday sent out its annual circular to
towns and cities calling attention to the
brown-tail moth law. There is no doubt
| that the brown tail moth Is in Ellsworth;
in fact, it is evident that the pest is con-
stantiy gaining ground here. Anyone
familiar with the nests can count dozens
OF them on shade trees along the streets,
especially in the vicinity OF electric lights,
and every group of apple trees bears its
crop OF nests.
The letters from the agricultural de-
partment order the municipal officers to
canse to be destroyed before Feb. 15, 1912,
the brown-t tail moth nests, which may be
found within the limits OF their public
| streets and parks, this limit to extend to
the distance OF sixty feet from the centre
OF the public streets or highways, and to
include sill trees and shrubbery growing
thereon
The attention OF the municipal officers
Is also called to the fact that the statute
requires them to notify each owner OF
real estate located ia their municipality
TO destroy the moths in all their stages
within a specified time, and that the time
| limit given real estate owners should be
early enough so that in case the owner
/ should fail to destroy the insects the work
/ can be done by the municipality, as re-
/ quired by law, before Feb. Is.
| The commissioner OF agriculture is
# ,th anh lat -
/ section OF chapter 10 OF the public laws
/ OF 1907, as amended by chapter 81 OF the
/ public laws OF 1909 and chapter 81 OF the
public laws OF 1911, which reads as fol-
lows:
i should any person in the State suspect the
presence OF brown-lail moth or San Jose scale
preying upon trees, shrubs vines in his
( possession or Within his knowledge, he shall
+ forthwith notify the commissioner Of agricul-
/ tnre to that effect; and it shall be the duty of
/ said commissioner to cause the said trees
I shrubs or vines TO be inspected.
i II sufficient cause be found, the commits.
I siouer Of agriculture shall forthwith notify
/ the municipal officers of the city or town
where such pests have been found, Munich
Z pal officers thus notified shall Immediately
cause to be destroyed such OF the above
namer insects In their different stage as may
( be foaud within the limits Of the pubic
streets and parks. said limlt TO extend to the
distance Of sixty feet from the centre of the
public streets or highways and include all
trees and shFabbery growing thereon.
should such munieipLl officers neglect or
fail withia a reasonable time TO perform the
duties herein imposed upon them, then the
commissioner oil agriculture shall order euch
city, town OF plantation to proceed to destroy
she above named insects la accordance with
methods to be prescribed by him, aud to
spend such an amount la the above .nau,ed
work as he shalt deem necessary.
Hany city. town or plantation shall fail to
( comply with the direstions Of said commits
siouer in the performance of said work and
the expenditure of such money within the
time specified by him, then the commissioner
OF agriculture shall cause the said work to be
done. add shall charge the actual expense OF
the same to said city or town; such amount
TO be collected As State tax and credited TO
this appropriation.
Whenever city. town or plantation is noti-
fed by the commissioner of agriculture of
the PRESENCE of the brown-tail moth or San
Jose scale, the mayor Of each city, the select
meu os each town and the assessors Of each
tate located therein. requiring him to destroy
the above named insests in his orchard aud
shade trees within specified time
II the owner fails to destroy the above
named insects before the specified time then
the city, iowa or plantation, subject to the
approval of the commissioner Of agriculture,
shall destroy them. and shall assess upon
such aforesaid real estate the actual cost of so
doing. to an amount, however, not exceeding
one per cent, of the assessed valuation of the
above named property. The amount so
assessed shall be collected in the form of a
tax.
1t shall be the duty of the commissioner of
agriculture to disseminate information con-
corning the brown-tail aud gypsy moths, San
Jose scale and other injurious insects.
cities and towns may raise the sums neces-
sary to carry ont the provisions of this section
IN the same manner in which money is raised
for other necessary municipal purposes.
Commissioner Buckley states that there
appear to be more brown tail moth nests
in the State than ever before, and that the
insects are much more advanced in their
development than in previous years. The
infestation appears to be the worst in
central Maine, and reports OF intestation
have also been received from portions OF
the State that have not previously been
infected, particularly n the northern part
of the State, and including Penobscot and
Franklin counties and one town in Aroos-
took county.
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