By Muriel Bristol (Transcriber) | November 2, 2018
Here is extracted the description and data of 1911 Milton gypsy moth “scouting” only, from a rather lengthy and interesting scientific discussion of the progression of the Gypsy Moth.
RECORD OF SCOUTING IN MILTON, N.H. On October 25, 1911, a crew of experienced scouts under the direction of William Sarsfield commenced the examination of the trees in Milton east of the Boston & Maine Railroad. This territory is hilly and the towns south and southwest of it are generally very badly infested. The area examined covered about 18 square miles, 13 of which are wooded. The forest growth was as follows, according to estimates furnished by Mr. Sarsfield:
Conifers 29 [Per Cent], Elm 4 [Per Cent], Oak 13 [Per Cent], Beech 20 [Per Cent], Maple 16 [Per Cent], Miscellaneous 7 [Per Cent], Ash 2 [Per Cent].
In the winter of 1910-11, the orchards in this area were scouted and 21 infestations were found, practically all of which had a single egg cluster. In the whole town, the greater area of which is on the west side of the railroad, 159 egg clusters were found in 55 localities .
In 1911-12 14 woodland infestations of 59 egg clusters and 22 orchard and roadside infestations of 202 clusters were found east of the railroad. The woodland infestations were in the territory between the Milton railroad station and the south end of the town. In the part of the town west of the railroad only the roadsides and orchards were examined, and 6,602 egg clusters were found in 57 localities.
The results of scouting in this town show that the infestation is increasing rapidly in both woodland and orchards. The figures for the two years are significant, for in the western part of the town the infested localities in one year more than doubled. and the number of egg clusters was more than 40 times greater than the previous year.
References:
US Department of Agriculture. (1913, February 11). The Dispersion of the Gypsy Moth. Retrieved from books.google.com/books?id=HwTWrOqweJAC&pg=RA4-PA1
Milton Observer 