The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1897-09-02
The Mosquito Problem.

Il, as the entomologists say, only the
female mosquito bites, then these pests
must be all born females this summer.
Never in the history of the country was
the mosquito plague so grievous as at
present. Its ravages extend to every
part of the land. In Chicago and in the
Northwest, in Maine and in every part
OF New England, on Long Island and
in Cleveland and in Florida the creature
swarms in clouds such as it has been
thought only the New Jersey marshes
could produce.
An unusual virulence is attendant on
the bites this year also. In one case a
little child was stung to death by the
poisonous p%unctures. On Staten Island
a horse was rendered SO frantic that he
plunged and reared and then fell upon
his head and back and died. The At
lantic seaside resorts in many places
have been made uncomfortable from this
cause, and many guests have left them.
There never was an evil that there
was not also a remedy for. Inventors,
chemists and others have here a vast
field for their ingenuity. The person
who could devise q plan that would
either exterminate mosquitoes or drive
them away would make millions of
money IN one season. New Jersey now
is seriously considering plans for the
drainage and reclamation of the marshy
lands about Newark known as the Jer-
sey meadows. It is quite possible and
would add a territory of ~, 900 acres to
her available soil. This was a favorite
idea of Horace Greeley's. The thing
could be accomplished as we'll in New
jersey as in Holland. If the fats in
question were drained and dried, the
mosquito would go out Of Jersey.
Staten Island and Long Island would
still be the victims of it's deadly as
saults, however.
There ought to be some way of in
o%culating against the mosquito as
against smallpox. With all the resources
Of science nov at the command of man,
1t ought not to be impossible to SO for
tify the human body that the evil in
sect would not want to bite it. Kero-
sene is a remedy which makes man and
beast mosquito proof. A little of this
oil rubbed upon the hands and face or
some Of it sprayed literally upon walls.
pillars and fences where the pests most
congregate will keep them at a safe dis
lance for a considerable time till the
odor dies away.
It seems, too, as if some sort of 8
mosquito trap might be devised to cap
ture the things. Human wit has been
equal to coping successfully with the
pest Of house flies. Traps, poison,
sticky fly paper and Persian powder
will rid a house of them effectually if
some of these remedies are followed up.
Perhaps tremendous shocks of electric
ity sent across the waters of mosquito
ponds would destroy the wrigglers from
which every mosquito must evolve.
Those who have tried it declare that If
kerosene oil is poured upon the surface
of mosquito breeding ponds it will kill
the larvae, or at least prevent them
from developing into full blown sting.
ers. The pioneers of America made
smudges of pennyroyal and other pun.
gent weeds which efectually kept the
little brutes at a distance till the pic.
neers themselves got a nights sleep.
This is all we can think of on the
subject of mosquito killing or curing,
but we are very sure that the genius
will arise who can either destroy them
or render man impervious to their as.
saults.