. An annotated list of the important North American forest insects. Forest insects. THE GIPSY MOTH AND THE BROWN-TAIL MOTH 23 In woodlands the oaks are the most favored food plant of this insect, and, unfortunately, the infested region abounds in large areas where these species predominate. At present tlicre seems to be no method aside from hand treatment which will prevent serious injury to oak woodland, but as a large part of such land consists of poor sprout growth, the amount of damage sustained is not always so great as it might at first appear. The greatest injury likely to be caused in
. An annotated list of the important North American forest insects. Forest insects. THE GIPSY MOTH AND THE BROWN-TAIL MOTH 23 In woodlands the oaks are the most favored food plant of this insect, and, unfortunately, the infested region abounds in large areas where these species predominate. At present tlicre seems to be no method aside from hand treatment which will prevent serious injury to oak woodland, but as a large part of such land consists of poor sprout growth, the amount of damage sustained is not always so great as it might at first appear. The greatest injury likely to be caused in such areas where oaks and gray birch abound is the dying of small pines or other valuable species which have been denuded by the caterpillars after the oaks and birches have been defoliated. This reduces greatly the chance that the sprout growth will be replaced by any species of value that can withstand gipsy-moth attack. Consideration is being given to devising some economical method for protecting and improving wood lots of this character at. FiGunE -Samo wuotihuui alter Ki'owih luMnei-l liv ihe si|i^\ uiirth removed by thinning moderate expense. It is true that in considerable areas of oak woodland the trees, although not mature, could be utilized for small timber, railroad ties, or cordwood, and in cases of bad infestation such woodland should be promptly cut if the wood can be sold to advantage. On cheap cut-over or infested lands in many sections of the territory white or red pine might be planted to advantage, but as this involves considerable expense and as the crop can not be har- vested for a period of years, the question of the desirability of managing any wood lot in this way must, in the end, be decided by the owner of the property. If the practice common in some European countries of maintain- ing municipal or state forests were well developed in the New England States, it would be possible in a period of years to trans- form considerable areas of land which
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Keywords: ., bookauthorhopkinsadandrewdelmar, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900
