The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1907-01-15

! Those who attended the mass meeting
held at the Court House, on Tuesday
evening, although many expected to hear
the subject of Incorporation discussed,
became interested in a lecture delivered
by Prof. John B. Smith, who is connected
with the State Experimental Station at
New Brunswick. His subject was "The
Mosquito, and many persons have since
expressed their desire to hear a further
dissertation on the same subject. 1t was
mosquito meeting" pure and simple
and despite the rain the speaker had
many listeners who went home we'll
pleased and considerably enlightened.
After being introduced by Joseph R
Gillian, president of the Mount Holly I'm
provement Association, Prof. Smith
launched right into his subject, speaking
so easily and distinctly that his hearers
had no time to get weary. The speaker
said in part:
This is the first time / have been in
vited to come to Mount Holly to talk on
mosquitoes" He told what could be
done here to lessen the trouble from this
pest.
1.-The fool of to-day is the wise man of
to morrow" he said, "but l don't want
you to believe l am the wise man in dis
guise. speak from the result of expert
ence, and not from the visionary illusions
of dreams,
The speaker referred to steamships
forgir G themselves up rivers, across the
ocean. the carrying of gas and electricity
to illuminate dwellings, and said these
things were first regarded as mad ideas by
many of the notable men of the world
"When / suggested that mosquitoes
could be reduced and cease to be the nuis-
ance they are to day." continued the
speaker, II was laughed at all over the
state, and ridiculed throughout the coun-
try. The idea seemed to be SO good
joke, however, that the Legislature gave
me all the money | asked for. They ap-
propriated $3.50, 900, and although l can
only get it in driblets, / am waiting for
the opportunity to spend it all. When /
made my annual report the authorities
we're so well pleased that they thorough
ly agreed On my continuance of the work.
''It was first demonstrated in the tropi-
cal countries that the mosquito would
| transfer malaria, yellow fever, etc. Two
| years ago when yellow fever broke out in
New Orleans it was said that there would
be no danger of the disease spreading to
New York, provided no infectious mos
quitoes were transported with the ships
| New York and New Jersey are out of the
zone of the yellow fever mosquitoes. 1t
has been clearly demonstrated that the
mosquito is the agency through which
yellow fever is carried. BY the suppress
sion of the mosquito in New Orleans the
yellow fever was exterminated.
! ''The malaria mosquito does breed
largely in Mount Holly. What has been
done in one place can be done in another
By draining marshes the mosquito pests
are reduced and the disease stopped. The
parasite is taken from a diseased subject
1t thrives in the body Of the mosquito
and is then transferred to the human body
/ through the saliva of the mosquito.
There is not dark cellar in Mount
Holly but that has from fifty to one hun
bred female mosquitoes waiting to come
out in the spring and lay their eggs for
development in any small pool tn at may
be found, rain barrel being particularly
well adapted for this purpose. The eggs
are always laid at night and they hatch
within twenty four hours, the arva drop
ping from the eggs into the water. They
! live on the animalcul8 which is to be
found in the water The mosquito has a
brush on its mouth with which they cast
aside all the animal matter they do not
care to eat. A single mosquito starting
out in the spring will have a progeny Of
tens of thousands by fall.
"a wriggler has tube on the end of
his body which he always keeps to the
surface of the water. While it lives in
water, where it gets all its food, it must
come to the surface to get its air supply
or it will drown. This air can be shut
off by pouring oil on the water, which is
only a temporary remedy. Permanent
work can only be done by doing away
with the pools. Any unprotected body Of
water will breed mosquitoes The immi-
grafton of mosquitoes from the marshes
need not bother the people of Mount
Holly, who have the remedy in their own
hands.
"The sum of $4,000 was expended In
Kidding the summer resorts of Staten
Island from the mosquito pest, and be.
cause of this accomplishment the sum OF
$3.50, 900 is now being expended in the
erection of new residences on ground that
: was formerly regarded as practically
, worthless.
mo place in New Jersey is more favor
ably located than Mount Holly with re
spect to getting rid of the mosquito In the
t pool, near the Relief engine house, OF
Pine street, there are enough lary@ tt
r supply the town with mosquitoes. Tht
r racewaY is a prolific source for thei
breeding. In square inch of water you
7 can get one hundred Larvae. and wha
must the total be in large body of water
e zone successful method of fighting
r mosquitoes is good sewer system, ant
2 the local Board of Health has power t,
make all property owners connect witt
q same. Fill up pools and cutters, or drail
0 them, and good results will follow.
Powdered jimson weed mixed wit
IS nitre and burned in the cellar will kill al
e the mosquitoes there. One ounce of cal
b bolic acid poured over an ounce Of our
n camphor and evaporated over spiri
= lamp will kill all the mosquitoes in
,r space of one thousand cubic feet"