Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1901-07-17
WINCHESTER'S RENE.
DY FOR MOSQUITOES.

FROM the Mayor of Winchester.
Va, comes the cheerful information
that the Kerosene oil treatment is
success rs an exterminator of mos
quitos. Mayor Barton is responsible
for the introduction of the expert.
ment IN his city, and the whole pop.
ulation of that famous city is said to
arise from refreshing aud unbroken
slumber every morning, and even be
fore it pulls on it's trousers or dons its
lawn wrapper, to say, "Bless r. Il.
Barton"
Following is the report:
1.-The mosquito war as inaugurated
IN Winchester in the spring of 1900
at the instance of the Mayor, Hon.
X. L. Barton, who is somew That of an
amateur entomolonist aud who before
he became mayor had in vain urged
the matter upon the attention of the
people.
after his election the Common
Council, at his suggestion, passed an
ordinance similar to the present ordi
nance, published recently in the Sun,
except that action under it WAS pure
ly voluntary, no penalty for its viola
ton being provided. The present
ordinance has penalty, aud also pro
yides for the appointment of an In
SpectOr, whose duties are TO see To the
strict enforcement of the law. These
provisions were inserted this wear not
because of any special failure to car
~ out the law last year, for in fact il
WAS generally obeyed, but because
with the wearing away of the novelty
OF the scheme and the substantial de.
strnction of the mosquito it was fear.
ed that the precautions provided by
the ordinance might not be- observed
this year. The wisdom OF this pre-
caution has been justified bv the
event, but through the action of the
Inspector is now being quite general
Iy enforced.
Before this nets were necessity.
sleeping without them hardly posi-.
ble and sitting either on piazzas or
IN lighted rooms at night became
most uncomfortable and called for
constant exercise TO ward off the ~
tacks of the little 'buzzer'
Against this condition of things
al appeal to the public was made
through All article written 10y the
mayor and published in one of our
daily papers on September %, 1899,
From this article is taken the follow
ing:
The female member of the mos
quito family, AS is not uncommonly
the case, is the head of the house.
She does the buzzing aud biting, and
she also lays the eggs to the number
of from 300 to 400 in each mass. As
she does all this in the night and
does not seem either TO omit her or
binary round Of visits, she must be a
very industrious little beast.
1.-The eggs are deposited in boat
shaped masses on the face of any
fairly still pool of water. The eggs
may hatch in Is hours and the lar
vac (the first stage of mosquito life
live beneath the surface of the water,
popping up from time TO time to
breath. This state may be completed
in seven days and The pupal state
last "a hours, SO that al entire gen
GRAFTON NAV in summer tine be com
pleted in ten days. say may be
cause if the weather is cool the time
between commencing the mosquito
and fully equipping her for busi
ness may be indefinitely enlarged.
"'When cold weather comes the
adult mosquito, still in the wing. hi.
bernates in cellars, outhouses or in
ANY old place, and is ready when
spring comes to renew business ut the
same old stand, No degree of cold
will kill it.
partial and temporary relief may
be obtained, of course, by screens,
nets, by burning pyrethrum and by
itching the mosquito in blacking