Norwich bulletin., 1912-08-01
OUT OF POCKET
 BECAUSE OF MOSQUITOES
Connecticut Shore Resorts Find the Plague, Growing-Insects Could Be CheaD& Banished.

Connecticut's coast towns are rap idly coming under the plague of the mosquito, according to a bulletin is- sued by the Connecticut agricultural experiment station, which places the blame to a large extent upon the neglect of the salt marshes.
 The mosquito plague is growing every year and the salt marshes along the coast furnish the principal part of the mosquito plague of the southern portion of the state. Contrary to the habits of most mosquitoes, those of the salt marsh species are large and very abundant, make life a burden to many inhabitants, and keep away many others who would otherwise summer on the Connecticut coast. This condition results in preventing the proper development of a legitimate business and the people of the state are so much poorer on account of 1t. That the remedy is not impossible, nor impracticable, nor so expensive as most people suppose, and that for ag- ricultura1 purposes the land is greatly improved by the treatment offered. is shown by the investigation made.
 Two Species.
 There are two species of mosquitoes
 
 marshes and which are known as the brown salt marsh mosquito and the banded salt march mosquito. The first named breeds early in the year, and migrates inland to a considerable dis tance. The banded mosquito appears about July 1 and replaces the brown for the rest of the season.
 MaIarial Mosquito.
 Tp ad of mosquitoes which invariably breed in the fresh water pools that are found in the rear of salt water marshes. The malarial mosquito is the greatest and most dangerous pest of these. By abolishing the breeding places of the salt meadows, the malarial mosquito will also be affected, in that the water is drained from it's breeding places to a considerable extent.
 The rain barrel mosquito is & local plague and does not constitute any important part of the mosquito plague of the Connecticut coast.
 34 Square Miles of Salt Marsh.
 The salt Or tide water marshes of this state contain 22,264 acres. or 34.79 square miles in the middle part of the coast region. or that portion bounded on the west by the Sauga- tuck and on the east by the Connec- ticut rivers. The largest portion of it in the entire state is the Quinni- piac marsh. which contains $500 acres.
 Fifty per cent of the salt meadow portion was drained a good many years ago for salt hay farming. But since then this industry has been abandoned, to a large extent, the ditches have become clogged and mos- quitoes are increasing at an alarming rate.
 Worse Than 30 Years Ago.
 The experts of the experiment sta- tion say: Tn many cases the marshes are in worse condition today than they were 30 or 50 years ago and mosqui- toes are correspondingly more numer- ous Wherever the march becomes sufficiently congested, water stands the turf rots and a depression is formed mich increases in size and breeds m uions of mosquitoes. Tide gates will not remedy the evil unless the land iA properly drained and the ditches kept open and free from ob- structions.
 Some communities have recently made start toward improving the conditions of the marches. Nearly seven miles of coast marsh land was drained in 1911"
 Draining Would Be Cheap.
 Experts hold that marshes can be drained at a cost of from five to ter dollars per acre. If some of the biz contractors were called in with theil ditching machinery the 22,264 acres could be drained at cost not to ex- ceed s17s,112. This would wipe out tho mosquito plague in Connecticut in ont or two seasons. The cost of ditchina varies, according to the conditions, ant in some places the work can be dont thoroughly with lasting results for lesi | than $2 per acre.
 The mosquitoes can be eliminated from the Connecticut coast" say tht experts. And when they are there will be no more attractive place in tht country than the Connecticut coast | The railroad and transportation com. panies will reap a harvest from the in creased summer tratdc. The merchants