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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

C.O. 885

20 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH———NOT TO

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7. The principal parts of Mr. Ballou's reports will be published in the " West

in due course. Indian Bulletin and Agricultural News

I have, &c.,

FRANCIS WATTS,

Commissioner of Agriculture for the West Indies.

Enclosure in No. 69.

REPORT of the Entomologist on a visit to the Gypsy Moth and Brown-Tail Moth Parasite Laboratory at Melrose Highlands, Massachusetts.

IMPERIAL COMMISSIONER,

I VISITED the Gypsy Moth and Brown-tail Moth Parasite Laboratory on August 25 where I found Mr. A. F. Burgess in charge. Mr. Fiske, the expert in charge of this laboratory, was on a visit to Europe, and I made a second visit in the hope of meeting him after I was informed of his return. Unfortunately, how- ever, Mr. Fişke was suddenly called away on official business to Washington on the day before I had planned my visit, and I was not able to see him.

Mr. Fiske, in addition to being in charge of this laboratory, is an expert in the study and utilization of hymenopterous parasites, while Mr. Burgess has charge of all the work of introducing predaceous coleoptera, in which he is a specialist. Both these gentlemen are officers of the Bureau of Entomology of the United States Department of Agriculture and are detailed to this work by Dr. Howard. The relation of the Federal officers to scientific work within the limits of the State is very interesting and will be mentioned later in this report.

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In order that the work which is being done in the control of these insects may be easily understood, it may be well briefly to review their occurrence in the eastern United States. The gypsy moth was introduced from Europe about the year 1867 in connexion with studies of silk-producing moths which were being carried out By an unfortunate accident at Medford, Massachusetts, by Professor Trouvelot.

a few of the caterpillars of this moth escaped, and although Professor Trouvelot drew the attention of the authorities to the serious consequences likely to result from this introduction of a foreign insect no action was taken by the authorities, and the insect thus became established. In 1889, the gypsy moth had developed to such an extent as to be regarded as a serious pest in a small locality in the vicinity of the original introduction. In 1890 the State of Massachusetts appropriated $25,000 to be used in reducing the numbers of the insect. The money and the details of work were entrusted to a commission of three. In the following year, however, it was recognised that this pest was more general in its distribution than had been realized; an increased appropriation was made and the matter was put in the hands of a committee of the State Board of Agriculture. During the period of ten years, 1891- 1900, annual appropriations were made by the general Assembly of the State of Massachusetts, and an unceasing warfare was carried on against this one insect. During this period the sums of money expended by the State for this purpose aggregated $1,175,000.

It was shown that at one time during this period about 400 square miles in This area was eastern Massachusetts was infested to a greater or less extent. slightly reduced by the work that was carried on before the end of the year 1900. In 1900, owing to a policy of retrenchment on the part of the State Government, the work of combating this insect was brought to a close, and for five years nothing was done except by private individuals and corporations acting in their own interest. In 1905 the gypsy moth had again become so numerous in the infested territory as to demand attention, and it had been found at considerable distances outside the territory known to be infested at the end of 1900. Money was again appropriated by the State Government, a Superintendent for the control of the gypsy moth was appointed, and active operations were again resumed for the control of this pest. This work has been carried on up to the present time, and it is estimated that the sums of money already appropriated and used in this struggle against the insect pest have aggregated over four million dollars. These figures include the amount already mentioned as having been spent in the first ten years, 1891-1900, sums appro- priated by the General Assembly of the State of Massachusetts, by the towns in the intested districts, and by such corporations as the Metropolitan Water and

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Sewage Commission, the Metropolitan Park Commission, and the State Highway Commission.

In 1890, about 200 square miles of territory were known to be infested. During the ten years following, the known area of infestation had increased to over 400 square miles. These figures do not represent a spread of the insect during this time. The later surveys revealed the presence of the gypsy moth in old established colonies which had not been discovered in the first few years of the work of control. At the present time the gypsy moth is known to occur in greater or less numbers over a territory amounting to nearly 8,000 square miles. Previous to 1900 the insect was confined to Eastern Massachusetts, and the methods of control had been suc- cessful in preventing its distribution. During the five years in which no work was done the gypsy moth found its way into Maine, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Rhode Island.

In the early days of the gypsy moth control no assistance was rendered by the Federal Government, as it was considered that the problem of controlling the gypsy moth, which was entirely confined to the State of Massachusetts, was properly a problem for Massachusetts alone, but since the resumption of the work of control in 1905, the Federal Government has appropriated considerable sums to aid in the work, and has detailed officers of the Bureau of Entomology to supervise the work along certain lines. The principal way in which this assistance has been rendered has been the matter of importing and establishing European parasitic and pre- daceous insects, in the hope that these would assume control of this pest and keep it within reasonable bounds as they do in Europe.

The brown-tail moth, which is a near ally of the gypsy moth, is of comparatively recent introduction in the eastern United States, and as it is a very serious pest the work of combating this insect has been associated with the work in connexion with the control of the gypsy moth. An effort has been made in introducing para- sites, to introduce both those that are beneficial in connexion with the gypsy moth and the brown-tail moth. The appropriations by the Federal Government in aid of the control of the gypsy moth and the brown-tail moth during the past five years have amounted to nearly $800,000.

Work of the Federal Government.-The Federal Government has entire direction of the importation of parasites and predaceous insects, and in this connexion has expended not only Federal money appropriated for the purpose but also considerable amounts appropriated by the State of Massachusetts for the same purpose, and it also directs its attention to preventing the spread of the gypsy moth along the principal highways. The female moth, although winged, is not capable of flight. The caterpillars have the habit of letting themselves down by a silken thread from the leaves on which they are feeding, and when this happens along these highways they are likely to be transported considerable distances by passing carriages, motor- cars, electric cars, &c. In order to check this mode of spread, an attempt is made to keep all trees and shrubs along both sides of the highways and roads through infested territory clear of insects. The trees are pruned and the underbush cut for 100 feet on each side of the road. The foliage on this 100 feet strip is carefully sprayed with arsenate of lead.

The work of the State Government and of the Municipalities.-The work con- ducted by the State of Massachusetts is under the direction of the State Forester, who has charge of the expenditure of all money appropriated by the State for this purpose. A certain amount of control work is carried out by the towns or muni- cipalities within the infested district, the officer in charge of the work in each case being the town Tree Warden, or an officer specially designated for the purpose. Each town keeps an accurate record of the expenditure in this work, which is sub- mitted to the State Forester, who re-imburses such towns according to a scale based on the valuation of taxable property within the town. All such work is under the

general supervision of the State Forester, whose officers audit all accounts sent in in this connexion. The State Forester also assumes direct control of serious out- breaks in any town with which the town officials may be unable satisfactorily to

deal.

It will be seen from this that a remarkable system of co-operation exists in the handling of this enormous insect problem-officers of the United States Government, of the State Government, and of the municipalities working together harmoniously, each with a definite task to perform for the purpose of accomplishing a common object.

At the time of my visit to the United States the season was too far advanced to