The Jersey City news., 1906-01-09
State Ensomologist Smith
Saws He Caa Rid the
State of the Inseots If
Given the Means
WANTS sS5O,oOO FOR IT
THE GREATEST PROBLEM is
THE DESTRUCTION OF THE
BREEDING PLACES OF THE
SALT MARSH VARIETY -
WHERE THE LIARS ARE.
Especial to .sThe Jersey city News,

Special to .eThe Jersey City News.'}
TRENTON, Jan. 8. 1906.-There is
much interest displayed in the coming re-
quest Of Professor Smith, state entomol-
ogist that the Legislature pass bill APP
propriating S350,OOO for the final exter-
mination of the mosquito from the State.
Professor Smith believes that it the
campaign is pushed with energy against
these breeding places of the mosquito
along the lines that have been demon
strated to be effective the state of New
Jersey can be practically freed Of this
intolerable pest. AS points cut, war
fare on this insect nuisance is no longer
an experiment Its complete success
has been demonstrated in the Newark
and Kearny marshes. at Elizabeth,
along the Shrewsbury river, at Seaside
Park and some other places. The inn
portance of liberating the state from this
pest is SO great not only from the stand
point of health and comfort, but also
from that of dollars, that the State can
well afford to give generous aid to local
governments in prosecuting the war. 1t
happens that some Of the most extensive
areas of marsh are located in the poorest
municipalities, which can never hope to
grapple with the formidable problem
without substantial state aid. A bill will
be introduced, probably next week, car
lying Professor Smiths ideas into Ell
feet.
The state entomologist has made a
careful estimate. in detail Of what it
would. cost to clean out the mosquito
breeding places along the shore line
based upon actual surveys of the entire
territory and upon the cost of similar
work done already in New Jersey and
New York. He says that ninety per
cent. of all the New Jersey mosquitoes
breed in the salt marshes along the
coast and migrate inland. Ninety-five
per cent of the shore resort mosquitoes
and of those in the pines are salt marsh
breeders"
The problem, therefore, is to destroy
the breeding places Of these salt marsh
mosquitoes. He estimates that the total
cost of dong this would be $315,500.
The professors estimates cover every
mosquito breeding area from Jersey City
to Cape May and up the Delaware to
Salem Creek. Beginning at Jersey City,
he estimates the cost of wiping out the
breeding places of the pest on the
marshes there at $500. Then, continu-
ing: Bayonne meadows, $500; marsh
lands between Elizabeth on the north,
Carteret south, Arthur Kill east, Lin
den on the west, ditching, $500; marsh
extending south from Carteret to Perth
Amboy and from Arthur Kill to Wood
bridge includes Port Reading, Se-
warren, Maurer, North Perth Amboy
and Woodbridge to Fort Reading rail-
road-$4 500; Raritan fats. extending
from the rivers mouth to the end Of the
salt marsh, $4,000; the meadows be-
tween South Amboy and Morgan, $500;
area south Of Morgan Station to Law
renee Harbor and east of Jacksonville,
81, 800; area south of Lawrence Harber
to Cliffwood. $1,000; area bRtween
Matawan, Keyport and Raritan bay.
81 800; the meadows between East Key
port on west and electric power house
on east, $500. And so on, area by area,
along the bay to Sandy Hook; thence
down the coast, taking in the marsh
areas at Shark river to Sea Girt, Point
Pleasant, Bay Head, both sides OF Bar
negat Bay, the creeks and other streams
that flow into ii land the other bays,
sounds aud thoroughfare to the stretch
Of meadows about twenty miles In
lengah and from Eve hundred feet to
three miles in width, between Salem
creek and the mouth Of Cohansey creek.
This last area would cost $4,000 to
drain, while the area between Port Nor
ris and Brdgelon would cest $4,000.
These are trs II .se largest items in the
lot, the o;h~s tksee largest being the
al~a along the naia line sontl from
Bsrnegat to tie Pcn asylyania railroad
bridge over, the Msrahawken, and in
clrdius Ike irlalsGs aloi~ the shore,
ss,ouo; sac nsSGew aonsn from Tuck
esron crs@s to Eess riser ana great bay,
zone 0. the worst sections nf tie State
$1,000 aAd the area .batween Nacote
lcrssl, EssnsSs ccse, Little isay aa,s Great
bay, 1900.
70 CURE q C0Ls IN ovE DAT