Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1904-10-20
THE MOSQUITO TRENCHES.
A Defense of These Fcrtifications
Against Summer Pest.

New YORK I1meS.-EdWard M. Bent
ley, who has had considerable expert
ence and success in stopping the
breeding of salt-marsh mosquitoes by
the ditching method, yesterday COM
mented on newspaper article in
which it was pointed out that the OPP
erations undertaken near Newark. N.
j., have only turned the meadows in
TO vast pond, bigger mosquito fac
tory than it had ever been before"
Il am not familiar with the situation
at Newark, but there must have been
some radical error in the manner of
digging the bitches, if it is true that
they have been unsuccessful said
Mr.. Bentley. ut is not to be expected
that such treatment of the meadows
will shut off the migration of mos
Guitoes bred in regions which have not
been treated. The salt marsh mos
quito is vigorous traveller and win
drift with the wind for many miles.
1t is, however, certain that if the
ditching were properly done, it would
stop the breeding in regions to which
ii has been applied.
1T is an error 10 think that the
bitches are for the purpose of drying
the meadows. The object is to pre-
vent the trapping of the water in
! pockets or depressions reached only
by the monthly high tides. Regions
flooded by the daily tides are safe, In
some cases it is the purpose of the
bitches to admit the daily tides to
pools that were formerly reached by
the extraordinary tides only; but in
other cases they do drain and dry out
such pools without admitting the daily
tides.
AT Lawrence, l.. l., this system has
been steadily extended for the past
three years. In 1902 six miles OF
shore line was ditched along the
ocean front, and the succeeding sum-
mer several miles on the north side
adjoining jamaica Bay were similar
ly treated. The method is also being
extensively continued by private own,
ers, who have spent several thousand
dollars in the work, until the breeding
has been eliminated along about
twelve miles of shore line on the
ocean side of Lawrence. During the
present summer three men have con,
stantly patrolled these meadows, and
1t is safe to say that not handful of
mosquitoes has been produced there
during that time. The same is true OF
the regions on the Jamaica Bay side,
so far as the ditching has been ex-
tended.
There remains, however quite an
area at the head of Jamaica Bay which
has not been ditched, and it is from
this particular region that practically
all the mosquitoes which nave reach
ed Lawrence this summer have come.
Their progress from this region, when
the wind has blown steadily from the
north for several days, may be traced
as definitely as the march of an army,
and the time of their arrival at GER
tain points can be predicted with Ger.
! tainty, There has been but one such
INVASION of any consequence during
the present season. This occurred
early in July when a steady north
wind blew for several days jrst at a
time when the weather had become
warm enough to permit the Matching
OF large brood. In twelve hours
they had arrived within half a mile of
the village, and in twenty-four hours
had spread through the village and
reached the meadows on the south.
where they were manifestly disturbed
by their inability to find breeding
places. In desperation they began
breeding In most unpropitious locai-
ity, where they had never attempted
1t before, but were Immediately stop
ped, although it took 14O gallons of oil
TO do it. With change Of wind the re-
treat of the mosquitoes was quite as
marked as their advance. The larger
part of them were blown out in forty,
eight hours Some fingered in pro,
tected places in the lee of the hedges
and in enclosures where they coulo
not escape. Since that time migra,
TONS have been unimportant, but may
be expected on north wind.
THE real source of trouble is the
pockets and depressions reached only
by the exceptional high tides. These
"NN"i dioHB luS euBeS Oh the uplandS.
and can be reached at comparativel,
slight expense. | have seen a consid-
cradle waste of money and effort by
digging bitches in the wrong places
and in the wrong way If properly
carried out, this system is extremel,
cheap and effective | trust that the
alleged experience in New Jersey will
not lead to an abandonment of the
work, but that, in spite of the appar-
ent lack Of success, the system will be
carried out in such a way and to such
an extent that benefits may be rea,
lzed. Unless IL is continued and ex.
tended, the money spent upon II Is
simply wasted. | will also add that.
In my judgment 1t should be rendered
unlawful for the owner Of any salt
marshes or other lands to maintain
thereon such pestiferous nu sance as
a mosquito hatchery. Then Il would
only remain for public-sprted citizens
TO see that the law was enforced"