Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 200, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 August 1910 — CITY ROUTS MOTHS [ARTICLE]

CITY ROUTS MOTHS

Chicago Forester Urges Citizens to Act Individually. Trees and Foliage In Many Parts of City May Be Destroyed Unless Immediate Steps Taken to Destroy Insects. Chicago.—-Trees and foliage In many parts of Chicago may be destroyed by the tussock moth unless citizens themselves, take steps to exterminate the pest. This situation became clear the other day when Milton J. 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 Prost in his fight against the pest, he doused whether such an appropriation could be made legally. Meanwhile, the moths are busily attacking the trees. The hot, dry weather this year has developed a 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 a half. Then spraying with arsenate of lead will kill 90 per cent of the second brood. Spraying before or after that time would be of little use, comparatively, according to City Forester Prost “I should be willing to urge an appropriation for exterminating the moths," said Mr. Foreman, “but I think such an appropriation would be illegal. “You see, as I 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 a citizen’s trees, the latter might well ask him by what right he did it If he has the right to spray a 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. Prost 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. “The moths especially attack the high-grade trees—the lindens, the willows 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 caughf on the foliage. “This department has had but a small appropriation, and that has been for trimming the trees. Even then we have no wagon to carry ladders 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. I have asked for an auto truck to carry our ladders and pruning tools. “We have accomplished a great deal, but we have very little money for our work. I have received hundreds of letters in regard to the moths, but lam practically helpless. It would take a great deal of money—s6,ooo at the outside—to do the work effectively. “A spraying outfit costs about S4OO. The material for spraying would cost S2Q9 or S4OO more for each outfit. In Boston they have twelve spraying outfits throughout the city. In other cities In the east the work is carried on effectively. There the gypsy moth, or some other variety, is producing the same havoc among the trees that the tussock moth is in this city."