The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-07-25
IF THE ALABAMA roLYrEcH MO INSTITUTE

THE ALABAMA POLYTECH MO ms
the time of speculation. or impediate-
ly before It occurs, Is the proper mo-
ment to administer quinine. This drug
has the power to destroy these spores
while in the general circulation. and
before they re-enter the red corpus
cles, but does not seem to have any eff
feet on them while in the capsule Of
corpuscle.
In March, 1902, induced the City
Council to pass an ordinance relative
to a mosquito crusade in the city Of
lTalladega, and to make an appropria-
ton therefor. On the 18th day Of
April. 1902. Zone month later than 1t
should have begun) we began apply
ing crude petroleum Cor what is term
| ed by the Standard Oil Company, light
fuel OLD to all stagnant pools. ponds
| slow-running streams, in the city and
adjacent to It,
The inhabitants were requested by
means of printed circulars, giving a
short, concise description of mosquitoes
and how they breed. to apply 1t in rain
water barrels and all stagnant water
on their premises. This application
was made every fifteen days at the rate
i of one ounce to every fifteen square
feet of water surface. Notwithstand-
ing the fact that to the people of Tai
ladega the mosquito Is very common
place insect, and is known by sight to
all, and has been with us quite a while,
livery little was known about how the
insects live, how they breed. how they
carry disease and how easily they may
be destroyed. These facts being set
forth in the aforesaid circular seemed
| to arouse quite an interest in rank and
file of the people in general, and the
fight against the mosquito was begun
with much zeal OF course there are
many who will be careless and must
be watched.
Through the city of Talladega two
very sluggish streams course over very
crooked bedways. Along the banks of
these creeks mosquitoes were in the
habit of breeding by the millions, and
life to the inhabitants living adjacent
to these streams was almost burden
on account of the countless thousands
of these blood-sucking insects which
invaded the houses day and night. But
last season, we are proud to say that
this infested portion of the city had
fewer mosquitoes than any other part,
due to the fact that we watched this
part more closely and applied the rem
edy more thoroughly.
Manner of the Campaign.
A petroleer or man takes a bucket
of the oil and, with a small dipper,
dashes 1t on the stagnant surface at
the rate of one ounce to every fifteen
square feet of water surface. But this
way of applying the oil is wasteful and
slow. much better and a more eco
nomical plan is to use knapsack
pump to spray 1t on. The soft breezes
soon spread the oil all over the water
surface, and when the wigglers put
their breathing apparatus up through
the water top for air they get coal oil
which is sure death to them The
adult female will also get a dose and
death when she attempts to deposit
eggs on water so treated have
seen many dead adult mosquitoes on
the thin film of oil which is soon form
ed on the water after the application.
Cost of Crusade.
/ kept a strict account of the cost
of this crusade. We used $50 gallons
of light fuel OIL at a net cost of IL
cents per gallon, which is $50 for oil.
The applica tions were made twice per
month in April May, June, July Au-
gust, September, October and once in
November. 1t required on an average
four days for each application, making
in all sixty days. The petroleer was
paid 81 per day, making $50 for labor.
This. added to the cost of the oil, ag-
gregates a total of $50 for the cru
SADIE. OF course, as is often the case,
my services went free.
We could have secured kerosene oil
at ~ cents per gallon, but we used the
other oil because it is thought that the
crude oil does not evaporate as quickly
as the Kerosene and consequently an
application lasts longer. We think
that with careful work for three or
four years mosquitoes can be entirely
and completely exterminated in this
vicinity. However it is thousand
times better to do the work every year
perpetually than to suffer the incon-
venience. pain and disease due to the
bite of this bloodthirsty insect.
The COw-Pea.
The assertion made only a few years
. ago that what red clover is to the
North and alfalfa to the West, the cow
pea is to the South" was true at that
time. But now the value of the cow
pea has become more generally known,
and 1t is being grown everywhere that
dent corn can be grown with success
The many uses to which 1t can. be
! put, and the unfavorable soil and eli
matte conditions under which 1t can be
) grown makes the cow-pea the most
valuable plant of it's sort in existence.
1t is not my purpose to give a pure
ly scientific discussion of this subject;
} but / want to bring out few facts
that will probably be of interest to the
farmers on the cultivation and uses of
the cow-pea.
New conditions in the South are
} bringing about new methods in agri-
culture. The practice OF wearing out
new lands and then clearing up more
is being done away with, and the old
worn out soil in some places Is being
reclaimed. This is being done largely
by the use of legumnous, or pod bear
, ing, plants; and. for many reasons the
COW pea has been found to be the most
profitable crop for TINS use.
All the leguminous crops have their
!. places-their advantages and disad-
vantages. Red clover is highly val
ued in some sections; but it does not
thrive on all soils or under all condi-
} tions. Alfalfa is recognized as the
best perennial legume in the West but
is rarely profitable in this section. II
requires a rich sandy soil with a po-
rous sub-soil. Melilotus is of great
value in some portions of the South
: but it grows only on soils rich in lime
1t occupies the soil two years and
: makes an inferior hay. The COW pea
8 can be grown with success on stin
prairie soil, the light piney woods soil
} the rich delta soil, and If but poorly
r on any of the red clay hills of Mississ-
ippi or any other State.
7 Any soil is in better condition after
: crop of peas has been grown on il
than it was before. 1t leaves the soil
in better mechanical condition and
r stores up for the future crop nitrogen
which is the most expensive element
4 | 10 nd m II,