Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1904-12-01
PROFESSOR SMITHS
WAR ON MOSQUITOES.

WIN Ull lMU0VUllUL0.
Professor Smith report on the mosquito
investigation is IN the hands Of the Cover
nor and will soon be printed It gives in
detail the results of three years work and is
to suggest the solution Of the mosquito
problem for New Jersey
The report is divided into four parts,
each complete in itself, yet all leading to
one point. In Part / the mosquito char
acters and structures are fully explained
and their life habits are detailed. We
learn how the mosquito bites, why it bites
and all about the results Of its bite when it
is one of those carrying disease. We are
told about their habits Of flight, their mi
grations, their breeding characteristics and
the practical bearing that these various
points exercise upon the problem of their
control. The important point is brought
out strongly that breeding places are not
universally scattered, bat are massed, so
that work in one locality will often produce
effects for miles around. 1t is also shown
how in the building Of roads and streets,
without regard to the natural drainage ex-
tensive breeding areas are sometimes pro-
duced where none existed before.
Part II is devoted to natural and artificial
control. Not one mosquito egg out Of one
l,,pdrad avar ,,ro1, 1,,noe ~ aJr,lt ,,,oear;+1
and all the natural conditions that keep
them down are carefully considered The
claims Of the dragon flies to be considered
mosquito checks are not highly rated, but
there are other insect inhabitants of the
waters that are OF great use, and their
claims are brought out by direct obserya
tions, as well as by experiment. The va
rious little fish, however, usually called
minnows, are NATURES most effective checks
and there is an interesting series of expert
ments to show what they can do il given
the opportunity. All these little fish are
described and pictured and their habits
and special points of usefulness, as we'll as
their limitations, are pointed out In deal
Ing with artiticia3 methods Of control refer
ence is made to the structures described in
Part l. and it is shown how the limitations
imposed by nature may be taken advantage
Of The aim should be to destroy mosquito
breeding places rather than breed in them,
to do work resulting in permanent relief
rather than thar which must be renewed at
short intervals, leaving nothing at the end
save the obligation to do the same the year
thereafter Drainage and filling are the
chief Of the permanent measures advocated;
but there are others which are considered of
Importance where these are not available.
Considerable space is devoted to the use
fulness of repellants Of oils and other ma
terials used to destroy the adults in early
stages, and the special range OF each mate
rial is pointed out from experimental results
There is no guess work and no loose state
ment; everything has been tried and the
results have been carefully noted.
Part III is what may be called the en-
tomoogists s part OF the work. Every species
of mosquito that has ever been found in
New Jersey-thirH-fse in numbers de-
scribed aud figured, and IN nearly every
case its entire life history has been worked
out We learn where every species lives;
whether it travels or stays at home in its
native wood whether it is a blood sucker
or whether it Is not, and, as bearing on the
practical side, the range Of its possible
breeding places is brought out in full
Part " is devoted to local problems.
Nearly the entire Atlantic coast line, the
Delaware Bay shore aud a long stretch Of
the Delaware River shore have been sar-
veyed, the mosquito breeding places haYe
been located and the measures necessary 10
clean them out have been determined
For some places detailed maps have been
prepared and the cost Of the necessary work
has been figured out. 1t is also record Of
work accomplished, and shows what some
communities have done andat what cost
TheentreTeport is fully illustrated from the
outfit OF the collector to the place wher~ he
collects and the machinery used in abating
I the mosquito nuisance.
FIRE AT VICTORIA.