Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-02

breeding areas were so extensive and wide
ly distributed that the oil treatment lot
the killing o freshly Matched ''wrigSlers'
was out of the question, far as the sea-
shore species was concerned. Mosquitoes
breed only in water, and if all standing sur
face water. in whatever LOCALITY, IS disposed
of the mosquito problem is solved.
Marshes Drained by Ditching Machines
The marshy home of these troublesome
migratory pests is all along the seashore'
marsh of this character is like huge
sponge and becomes dry only after long
drought Or. Smith discovered that when
ditch was opened from thirty to sixty feet
on each side of the typical salt marsh all OF
the water in such a breeding place would
drain into these openings and run out into
the surrounding or bounding current OF salt
water Such bitches had to be at least Two
feet deep. Short bitches We're dug more
cheapIy by hand but where the area 10 pc
cleared was large ditching machines did
much cheaper work, costing little over one
cent per running foot. Three to four thou
sand feet of ditching, two feet deep ana
from six to twelve inches WIDE are thuS
being cut in a single day.
Fish the Great "Skeet' Destroyer.
IF is a popular belief that mosquitoes de-
velop in the grasses and shrubbery, but Dr.
Smith finds no species that can preed out Oh
water In a large cage on mosqulto-rld-
den meadow he closely studied their haplts.
After it matches and assumes the early
.'wriggler'' stage the mosquito Is purely an
aquatic animal, absolutely helpless on lana.
Water areas containing fish are safe so iaf
as mosquito breeding is concerned, as the
fish eat all of the young ''wriggiers' before
the wings are grown and the aerial mos
ouito is formed. But in the grass,tangiea
eurfaca pools formed in these marshes flSh
cannot thrive hence the WrlsgleT can
grow and fatten there to his hearI COZ
tent The same is true OF ihldhu pooie
forroad of rain water which cannot draln
~ Anv permanent pond or pool can De
made mosquito proof by cleaning up INC
edges and stocking with fish. Every Iouh-
tain or artificial water pasll' no snat i ~ o
small should be stocked thus, IL ohly WIN
gold fish Dr. Smith says. Running streams
are usually safe except in the qulel ea1les,
Salt ponds on the marshes are Always
safe he finds because they have perpehulc-
"Iar hanks and are stocked with marine
life at every tide. Indeed marsh tnat Is
covered at every high tide can never preeu
mosquitoes, but the typical marsh from ON
which the water drains incompleteiy Is the
chief danger source. The ditching mas done
away with mosquito Matching Wherever II
has been tried
erWfse safe meadow at considerable dis
lance from a natural watercourse DR.. smith
has this converted into permanent sait
pond. with steep banks. and stocks IL with
sskillies'' from the nearest natural water.
He further finds 1t a good plan to burn over
a marsh that Is not used for hay, as mos
uuitoes shun burnt areas. The burning
tends also to the leveling and drying out
of the marsh. One of these great mosquito
breeding plants, having been thus drained,
or perhaps leveled. too so that there Is a
natural outlet for all water falling upon or
covering 1t. will remain mosquito-safe in
definitely IL the bitches are looked after
each year. In some localities a large per
cent Of the mosquitoes are Matched from
eggs not laid In the salt marshes. but