The Elbert County tribune., 1909-09-30
Pest Is Driven from Five Pop
ulous New Jersey Counties.
At Outset Head Of Experiment Station
Received Little but RidicuIe-Re-
suits Have Won Many En-
thusiastlc Supporters.
The
sessions.

tnusiaotic supporters
Trenton, N. J.-Prof. John b. Smith,
head OF the New Jersey state ento-
mological experiment station, has
Just finished tour of inspection
over five counties in the state where
lowlands, salt marshes and meadows
have been ditched to rid them of the
mosquito pest. Prof. Smith inter
viewed many residents of these coun-
ties. and the unanimous testimony
was that the salt water mosquito.
where the ditching has been done. has
been practically eliminated.
The counties which have thus been
rid of the post are the most populous
Of the state-Essex, Union, Middlesex.
Monmouth and Ocean. The work Of
drainage was begun six years ago
amid a chorus of derision from incrsd-
ulous scoffers, who said Jersey would
state"
Miles upon miles of ditching, how
ever. which Prof Smiths late trip
showed to be still free of obstruction
and doing the work II was intended
to do, have changed these doubters
into enthusiastic supporters. Prof.
Smith at first had to carry on the
work practically alone. but now he
has the active cooperation of local
associations of taxpayers in almost
every town, village and hamlet bene-
hted
All the ditohes were expected to do
was to drain OF the surfnce water.
This they did, and where formerly
anyone walking across the marshes
would step into water from two to
three inches deep, there is now dry
surface. Moreover, fine crops of
marsh hay are now gathered and
cured weeks earlier than formerly.
Prof. Smith has learned much about
the life history Of the salt marsh mos
quito, of which students Of the pest
are ignorant. 1t was supposed that the
mosquito was bred In water; that the
eggs were laid there, and that the
larva developed there. Through ey-
perimental work It has developed that
the eggs are always laid in soft mud
and that II this dries UP the eggs are
not Matched until this surface is
flooded by water again.
1t was formerly an erroneous be-
lief that the mosquito remained with
in short distance of the place where
II was Matched. On the contrary. 1t
is often carried from twenty TO forty
miles from the breeding place by ia
voring wind.
The following places were visited
by Prof. Smith. and citizens in each
place testified that the mosquito. for
merly a swarming pest. was now prac-
tcally extinct: The Newark meadows,
CheesQuake. Marquis creek and
Whale creek. Clinwood, Matawan
creek, Keyport creek. Atlantic High
lands. Rumson, Shrewsbury, Red
Bank. Monmouth beach. Pleasure Bay,
Port au Peck. the Manasquan marshes,
Seagirt. Brielle and Point Pleasant.
at the head Of Barnegat bay.
Col. Edwin w. Hine. who has had
experience with the mosquitoes at the
state encampment at Seagirt for
years. said that while the Fifth New
Jersey regiment was in camp this
summer there were hardly enough
mosquitoes to tell about, while former
ly the soldiers had suffered greatly.
The Rumson and Monmouth Beach
associations were SO enthusiastic over
the good work that they raised fund
OF $2.700 to aid Prof. Smiths cam
paign.
A striking contrast was observed at
i Barnegat Pier. The marshes near
that point have not been drained. and
pools of water can be seen scattered
all over them. The long grass swarms
with mosquitoes. To prove that the
pools were breeding places. Prof.
Smith filled a glass with water from
one Of the pools, and then a small net
was dragged through the pool, and
the contents emptied into the glass.
The result was mosquito iarva in
large numbers. The Barnegat bay
section had been mapped out for
drainage this fall but the legislature
made no appropriation and the work
will not be done this year.
Altogether In the six years since
the campaign began 10000 acres of
Jersey meadow and salt water land
have been drained. at an expense of
i've dollars per acre. Herman H.