The searchlight. [volume] (Culbertson, Mont.) 1902-current, 1909-10-01
Pest Is Driven from Five Pop
uIous New Jersey Counties.
Al Outset Head Of Experiment Station
Received Little but Ridieuie-Re-
suits Have Won Many En-
thusiastie Supporters.

Received Little but Ridieule-Re-
suits Have Won Many En-.
thusiastie Supporters.
Trenton. N. J.-Prof. John B. Smith.
head Of the New Jersey state ento-
biological experiment station. has
just finished q tour Of inspection
over nve counties In the state where
l0wlands. 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 pest are the most populous
Of the state-Essex. Union. Middlesex.
Monmouth and Ocean. The work OF
drainage was begun six years ago
amid Q chorus of derision from incred.
ulous scoffers. who said Jersey would
never BE- aught but the mosquito
state"
ks
ever. which Prof Smiths late trip
showed to be still free Of obstruction
and doing the work It 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-
dted.
All the bitches were expected to do
was to drain on the surface 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. II was supposed that the
mosquito was bred In water: that the
eggs were laid there. and that the
larva developed there Through ex-
perimental work II 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.
Il was formerly an erroneous be,
lief that the mosquito remained with.
In Z short distance of the place where
II was Matched. On the contrary. Il
II often carried from twenty to forty
miles from the breeding place by "a.
voring wind
The following places were visited
By Prot. Smith. and citizens In each
place testified that the mosquito. for.
merry Q swarming pest. was now prac.
tically extinct: The Newark meadows.
CAeesquake. 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.
1t 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
" the soldiers had suffered greatly
The Rumson and Monmouth Beach
associations were 90 enthusiastic over
the good work that they raised fund
OF 5s2.70o to aid Prof. Smiths cam.
pAign.
A striking contrast was observed At
Barnegat Pier The marshes near
that point have not been drained. and
pools OF water can be seen scattered
al over them The long grass swarms
With mosquitoes To prove that the
pools were breeding places. Prof
Smith filled . glass with water fron
one Of the pools. and then q small ne,
was dragged through the pool. and
the contents emptied into the glass
The result vas mosquito larva Ia
large numbers- The Barnegat bay
section had been mapped out fol
drainage this TALL. but the Legislature
made no appropriation and the wors
WIN not BE- done this year.
Altogether In the six yeHrs since
the campaign began 10000 acres ol
jersey meadow and salt water land
have beeo drained. at IN expense Of
I've cellars Der aera Herman u