St. Tammany farmer., 1908-03-21
SeaSOnable Thoughts.

is at hand, and housewives are
busy preparing for the chang
ing season.
One of the most important
matters frequently overlooked
Is ls the cleaning up of the back
yard, and the clearing away Of
trash for the warm season.
What is permissible for win
ter may not be so for summer,
IN this respect, and the health
OF a household may be seriously
affected by the condition of the
trash pile
Summer is near and soon the
mosquito will be with us in ag-
gregating numbers. It's pres
ence may depend on a few old,
TIN cans or broken bottles half
filled with water, or a choked
drain gutter.
Is it not strange that intelli-
gent people will suffer season
after season from the pestifer-
GUS insect, when a little CO.
operation and a little energy
properly directed would rid us Of
the mean little creature? It is
the female that bites; it seems,
therefore, quite appropriate
that the mistress, not the mas
ter, of the household should
take the matter in hand.
It may be of interest to wo-
men to know that the most COM
plete, instructive and scientific
ally accurate work on mosqui-
toes is written by a woman,
Miss Evelyn Groesbeck Mitchell,
who is an A. B. and M. S.
Miss MitchelFs illustrated
book or nearly 300 pages (pub-
lished in 1907 by Putnam's Sons,
New York and London) describ-
ing the mosquitoes of our coun-
try, and particularly of our
State, is a most exhaustive
work and entities her to far
more credit than she claims in
her modest introduction. Miss
Mitchell not only evidences her
possession of scientific training.
artistic ability and technical
skill equal to that of her male
contemporaries, but shows also
a clearness of view, correctness
Of judgment and courage of ex-
preston so necessary in dealing
with problems involving reform
of thought. Miss Mitchell shows
very clearly that the mosquito
is not a mere annoyance, but a
dangerous nuisance as we'll.
She does not mince words in
telling where the fault lies for
the prevalence of dangerous
mosquitoes. This is what she
says, for instance, of the yel-
low fever in New Orleans in
1905, and of our DR.. Kohnke's
splendid work at the time:
The recent epidemic in New
Orleans might have been easily
prevented had the inhabitants
listened a couple of years ago
to the warnings and followed
the advice of DR.. Koknke. He
was unfortunate enough to be
ahead of his time and to have
to deal with a large number of
illiterate foreigners, as well as
with an unscientific and some
what careless better class. DIR.
Kohnke prophesied and had
the reward Of a prophet. He
explained; he lectured; he tried
to have the cisterns screened;
he did everything that he could;
some laughed openly, some
listened and did not understand,
and others deliberately turned
their backs. Most went on care
lessly, thinking that there were
a great many more vital ques-
tions than that of mosquitoes.
Then they woke up after they
had it. But when they awak-
ened they fought, and the re-
suit was as great a victory as
that won by any general or adj
miral of modern times. :
But New Orleans is not yet
immune, nor will she be until,
like the cities of the North, she
possesses city water-Works, un-
derground drainage and sewer
age, and stone pavements.
They will be the best invest
ment she can make.
Might it not be said with
equal truth of Covington, that
the best investment she can
make is to establish a system
of sewerage and a sufficient
water supply I? Sooner or later
these improvements must come,
and the sooner they come the
better it will be for us all, and
the less it will cost to each.
Meanwhile, a little attention di-
L. c,,,. i'm M odintn e.11,.