New-York tribune., 1902-07-21
FIGHTING MOSQUITOES.
THE WORK ON LONG ISLAND-HOPES
OF GETTING RID OF THE PESTS

oyster Bay, Long Island. July 20 (specaD.-Long
Island is at last beginning to rid itself of mOsqui-
toes Hitherto many places of exceeding beauty
have been practically backsted because OF TINS
pest. Whole stretches OF magnificent shore anu
drives through charming woodlands have oeeh al
most unendura BILE owing the prevalence OF the
mosquito. Stories of suffering because OF the on
slaughts of these insects in the swamps ana
marshes if beast happen TO become losl
during the night told by many. NOW that Tue
spread of malaria is attributed to the mosquito.
health as well comfort is known to be ehdah-
gered by the insects attack
But fortunately, Long Island is not generaly
infested. There are only certain negh0orhoous
where the MOSQUITO thrives in great abundance
and 1t is hoped the day is soon to come wneh even
these places will be free and the whole lsiahu il
of the insect For of late scientific and practicai
efforts have been made to extermlhate 'heiii
Though these efforts thus far have been htte more
than experiments they have awakened puphc sen
timent and aroused a general interest IN the "orh
such as promises thorough investigation Oh 'he
infested spots and practically complete eA'eI
minaton in the near future. This business or rid-
ding Long Island of the mosquito began In d 9ii,'iii
way. The first steps were taken Dy w, D. Nia'"e
son. under the direction of Professor L. ". row
ard chief of the division of entomology oil the De
partment of Agriculture. Oh lAOyd's Neck Coid
Spring Harbor. in the summer OF ls" Inc "orN
was for the most part tentative thoush WIN ~
suits that brought much relief from the mosquitoes
the same year Interest in the SUBJECT ndEi"e
grown the experiments were next year trieu on
Centre Island just opposite this place. Inc '"sh
there was somewhat more difficult than at I'ioVd
Neck yet the experiments gave excellent results
About this, time the executive committee OF the
North Shore Improvement Association TOOK Ihe
hint from the work that had already beeh uohe'
and began operations last autumn in the territory
between Roslyn and Cold Spring, from the Souhu
to the hills I'm the centre Of the island. The busl-
ness was put in charge OF Henry {. Weeks win
Professor Charles B. Davenport, professor OF en-
tomology al Chicago University, and +. r.. Lutz'
al, fr, h
associates Professor y. ). Shaer. dean OF the
Lawrence Scientific School of Harvard UnlVerslty'
made a special examination of the sat MARSHES
The renorts of these men handed in 10 MI
Weeks. who went the ground SURVEYED anu
drew up plans and offered suggestions for destroy
ing the breeding places. at the same tiihe hhdNie
estimates on the cost Of determination n map Oii
a large scale was also prepared for finding every
spot where mosquitoes were or could De oreu. All
those reports were then reviewed by professor
L. O. Howard, who, in turn. made a report lHese
have all been collected and published In book form
together with the map, by the N"rtn 0iiOie ~
provement Association.
Tho story Of the work Of these is an inter-
esting and instructive one II was done ior 'ne
most part. foot the INVESTIGATORS go'hs over
every acre OF the region In question. IL Was an co
acting task But so thoroughly did the scientstS
cover the ground that the list of places wnlcn
supplements the map every mans BACK sapgS g hat
hack ward being a breeding place for InoslulIotss
the fact is mentioned and tee Spec.1 cmaIIest spot
49, passed by Trees with holes which held
water were discovered and noted down even oIIS Via
places in the soggy ground where footprints woGl %
long remain were not lost sight OF ana were care
* KH4owIedge OF the mosquito has taken rapid
strides in the last five six years NeW-JerseS
has for time been carry i,S, on ,S,
f,Very wears experiments are adding nluch 70
what Is already known OF the insect haniI5; lne
"Ieascd the general knowledge OF the subject put
also made Il practically certain that some day anu
OF tbe Country which Is infested may rid tself or
mosquitoes BY taking proper means !Or IN @ Stained
bv the North Shore Improvement ASSOCIATION nave
established certain facts and Verined the louHu"-
In the frst place IL has been decided that mos
auitoes breed chiefly in stagnant or SLOWLY moving
found that mosquitoes will not breed in salt
water: that II the salt marshes are continually
Tor propagation. The radical difference between
the Culex and Anopheies MOSQUITO ma" th asC il Dt
established II Is the latter species Inat carries
malaria IL bred not in salt water; put IN FOUL
fresh water and stagnant pools Inc ou'eN NirLe,y 10y
finds its breeding places in clsterns. ram Gar
rels and aCcumulations OF rain water, one OF ths
most tenacious theories concerning Long I@sand @
mosquitoes that they come here IN immense
swarIns the south side. has been retuted with
great Vlgur. -,
An enormous task must be undertaken both by
| individual property owners and by the public au-
| thorities The plan of destroying all breeding
places is somewhat follows: BY draining or
uuing useless accumulations of water; by draining
or keeping covered with salt water the extensive
salt marshes or. II these two methods are i'm.
| brackish water between extreme tides by
| straghtening out streams of water that no
| stagnant pools may exist along their banks; by
| combining springs To definite banks by making the
edges OF ponds and bodies of water that cannot be
| drained regular and clean. by petruliZing the
same. and. Hnally. 10y covering tightly rain barrels
tanks cisterns, cesspools. etc which exception
An this scientific theory and work would be of