Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-08-29
CATERPILLAR ARMY
X
running CITY TREES
Rain Washed Poison From
Leaves, and Busy Pests
Are Enjoying Feast.

These are halcyon days for loca
caierpillars.
Emboldened by the absence of ar
senate of lead in their diet for several
days and reck less in their disregard
of civic obligations, they are staging
epicurean orgies daily in Washing
TONS very best shade trees, picking
out the lindens and silver naples as
the most succulent bill Of fare and
disdaining the tougher leaves of the
elm and sycamore as beneath their
ConSiderati ton
Still others, swinging blithely from
their silllen filaments like trapeze
artists in natures circus. now and
then pick out a soft, plump human
neck and descend upon it just for a
change Of diet or perhaps for a lark.
Meanwhile, spraying workers
of the Districts trees and parking
department are worrying their heads
off For the rain of the last two
weeks washed the arSenate of lead
solution from the tree leaves, leaving
then' pure and undefiled for delicate
little caterpillar st0machs.
With remarkab bic sngle-mindedness
az purpose. these TusSO"l Moth cater
pillars which. according TO G. Il. Wal
lace. in charge Of the Districts liquid
death SprayerS in the caterpillar war,
are the most numerous of the species
3n, these regions. have gone 10 work
with guSto on the trees surrounding
George Washington University and
Transformed luXuri0nt foliage into
denuded branches The trees look
like living skeletons.
Naples Also Harmed.
On Fifth street northeast n.n1h
from East Capitol street. The ragged
Iindens bear mute testimony OF the
passage Of hungry hordes Of cater
pillars. The lindens on | street be
1ween Sixteenth ana Twentieth
streets are also sorry sights. The
silver naples on New York avenue,
west Of First street are alive with
hundreds OF squirting, twisting,
feeding caterpillars. waxing fat for
the cocoon stage ct the expense of
shade for District taxpayers. Gen
orally In the older sections of the
CITY the damage is the greatest
This Tussock Moth caterpillar is
vicious looking brute. He is doing
most Of the damage. He is the sort
which is sleekly fuzzy, slim and lis
some Withal. with few brown
humps on his back, two horns over
his eyes, and n thin. up-slanting tail
He wears a perpetual froWn, and
he's always hungry-if he can't get
a leaf, he just as leave take q neck
bite from a Well-fed Government
employe.
The TussoCks are we'll on in the
second generation of this Summer at
the present time. The early Summer
spraying caught many of the first
generation" but just AS this second
generation We're starting cheerfuily
along their obnoxious ways. tho rainy
season set in with happy results TO
caterplllardom.
Ten thousand pounds of 3rsenate
of lead was on hand at the start OF
she season Ito poison caterpillar
stomachs here. according 20 Clifford
14anham, superintendent OF trees and
parking of the District. Eut the re
cent rain washed the poison 'o1f the
leaves, leaving them 0igeStlbio and
wholesome, since this arSenate o.
lead must ger To the stomach OF the
little caterpillar before il can make
linn uncomfoI table.
Complaints Pour in.
These tree-enraye rs, however have
4 hard lot of il. iIcre recently, when
The tree Spra wing had 20 stop and ne
caterpillars went on a rampage, folks
who like shade trees began burning
ND the District Building wires with
complaints. And yet, il is pOint cd
out, when tree spraying is in full
blast. the wires are just as hot with
complaints of arSenate of lead get
ling on automobile tops. The solution
is harmless however. and is easily
washed off.