The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1903-02-18

Department OF Agriculture Inter-
ested In the Observation-Disclosures ma
ton of Lands and Redemption of
Marshes to Follow Route of InsectS'
II. c. weeks as Chief Engineer.
A government party in charge OF
Professor Milton Whitney, chief of the
bureau of soils, department of agricul-
ture. will start April l on survey or
the entire area of Long Island, says the
New York Commercial Advertiser. The
object is the reclamation of land and
the redemption of the large tracts of
marshes for agricultural purposes. The
attention of Secretary Wilson has been
called to the reclamation work which
has been in progress for the last two
wears through the efforts of the North
Shore Improvement association, which
ia interested not only in the improve
ment of the land, but in a plan to eX~
terminate the mosquito by destroying
its breeding places. The war being
waged against this obnoxious pest
along the north shore of Long Island
bids fair to terminate successfully
Henry Clay Weeks, who is the chler
engineer for the North Shore Improve
ment association and is commonly
known as mosquito" Weeks, has mar
shaled his forces, and when the season
opens he will advance on the pest
hacked by maps, charts, petroleum, the
North Shore Improvement ASSOCIATION
and the United States government
There will be a cessation OF mosquito
parades. for the parade grounds Will be
in the hands Of the invaders, and those
which are not held by them VIII De
covered with petroleum, and the mos
quito will be no more.
The war on the mosquito will make
necessary the reclamation of the
bitches. marshes and swamps when
are numerous on Long Island. Inc
crusaders aim to break up the breeding
places by draining off the water, since
water is a necessary element for the
reproduction of the mosquito. Much
has already been done in eXterminat-
ing the pests on Long Island, and to-
day many ponds and bitches are aDso-
lutely mosquitoes.
The commendable work done by Mr..
Weeks and the North Shore Improve
ment association attracted the atten-
ton of Secretary Wilson OF the de-
partment of agriculture at Washing
ton The result of the work of the as
ISOLATION embodied in a report was
sent by Mr.. Weeks to Secretary VIII
son in the early part of January. The
secretary at once appreciated the value
of the work and conferred with Milton
Whitney, chief of the bureau of soils,
department of agriculture, and l.. ..
Howard, division of entomology in re-
gard to the draining of the swamps,
redemption of the marsh land and i'm
munity from malaria spread entirely
by one species Of the mosquito known
throughout Long Island.
This work will necessitate new maps
and charts of the redeemable lands.
Secretary Wilson has already arranged
to send a soil party to Long Island on
April l to make a survey of the en-
tire area of the island. Recent commu-
nications have been received by Mr..
Weeks from Mr.. Whitney of the bu-
reau of soils, in which he says that the
soil party will probably start for the
New York end Of the island. This will
enable them to take advantage of the
maps which DR.. Ernest Lederle, pres
ident of the board of health, is having
made showing the breeding places of
the mosquito in the territory adjacent
to New York city.
The determination of the mosquito
from Long Island means an increase
in land values. In addition the re-
claimed swamps will furnish the truck
grower with a fertile area that will
many times repay the work Of redemp-
ton.
There are two groups of mosquitoes
which are to be attacked by the cru