Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1902-07-24
ExrERMIxArros OF MosoU1ros.

The Century contains an article en-
titled "a Campaign Against the Mos
quito " setting forth the details of the
operations that have been under way
near President Roosevelt's summer
home at Oyster Bay, L. |. In prefa-
tory note DR.. L. o. Howard, ento-
moiog st of the Department of Agri-
culture says:
1t Is my firm opinion that, wide
spread as the interest in mosquito.
determination seems to be at present,
it is not temporary interest, but the
beginning of a great and intelligent
crusade. My own correspondence on
the subject has been little less than
enormous. / have received during the
past year many thousands of letters
about mosquitoes, most of them inquir-
ing about methods for relieving indi-
vidual houses, neighborhoods, and COM
munities from these annoying and
dangerous creatures. New Jersey, a
State which has suffered great econ
omic loss from the abundance of mos
quitos, is giving attention to the mat
ter not only in isolated communities as
community work, but also by State
action, the legislature having passed
bill to promote Investigations, but,
unfortunately, without an approprla-
ton. Last summer the towns of Sum-
nit and South Orange carried on COM
munity work, which is to be continued
this summer. The cities of Elizabeth,
Newark, and Jersey City are,I believe,
to do some drainage work with this
end in view. The work to which Mr..
Weeks article refers has been large
scale work carried on by an association
of private citizens. Earnest efforts are
being made in Baltimore to carry on
similar work under city appropria-
ton, and a mosquito Topographic sur
yey of the suburbs of the city has
already been made by Drss Hirshberg
and Dohm. The Board of Health Of
New Orleans has taken up the matter,
and is doing intelligent and satisfao-
tory work. Nashville, Tenn, Rome,
Ga, Talladega, Ala, Winchester and
Norfolk, Va, and a number of other
places are looking into the matter with
a view to immediate effort, and smaller
communitiesall over the country, North,
South, East and West, either have the
matter under consideration or are
already beginning work. The authors
Lies of the Michigan Agricultural Col
lege, near Lansing, having authorized
their entomologist, Mr.. Petit, to I'M
dertake mosquito crusade the present
summer. DR.. Felt, the New York State
entomologist at Albany, writes me that
he will begin mosquito work at once,
while DIR. Davenport, director of the
Biological Laboratory of the Brook
Ign Institute of Arts and Sciences tells
me that efforts will be made to deter
| mine some practical points of great i'm
portance at Gold Spring Harbor. Morris
Cove and Lawrence, Long Island, re-
organizing for work, the latter with an
appropriation OF one 81, 000 DR.. Stiles
is occurring on anti mosquito work be-
fore the Army Medical School at
Washington, and posting all the young
army surgeons who have been ordered
| in for instruction. The admirable re-
suits achieved under our army admin
| istration of sanitary affairs in Cubs
have been an inspiration not only te
communities in the United States, but
| to foreigners. Major Ronald Ross of the
Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine
writes me, under date of February Goth:
"By dint of constant driving | think
we are getting this country to do some-
| thing at last. 1t is, however, doubtless
| the example of Havana that has chiefly
set them going.
1t appears from all this that exact
| details of so large piece of work as is
being carried on by the enterprising
| and public spirited members of the
| North Shore Improvement Association
of Long Island, as described by Mr..
Weeks, will be virtually of worldwide
1 ntereat