The Washington herald., 1912-06-02
Prof L. O. Howard Talks About the Insect. in Its
Economic Aspect-RecIaiming Vast
Tracts by Drainage

1T Is beginning 70 De reaiiIed IN udnl
parts OF this country that the value o.
real estate is fixed by the mosquito
said DR.. L. o. Howard. the gpvernuieni
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ''To show how
this comes about. win cite an in.
, stance.
Not far from Bridgeport, on Ions
Island Sound, was locality so afiietee
by mosquitoes that nobody, save a few
hardy fisher folk, so much as thought
OF venturing to live there. Land was e
be had for next TO nothing. A clever
schoolmaster, however, with very linn
tied amount of capital to invest. having
made a study OF the problem. took ad-
vantage Of the opportunity to buy up
considerable areas, which he ditched and
drained, thereby putting a stop to the
nuisance. Immediately the neignborhood
became desirable for residence purposes,
the land rose greatly in value, and the
speculative pedagogue earned quite 1T
tie fortune by his venture.
Another case I might mention was
that Of a formerly popular summer re-
sort IN New Jersey. Mosquitoes drove
the people away. Recently. however. the
swamps In that neighborhood have been
ditched and drained. the pestiferous in
sects practically have ceased TO breed,
and the resort has become more prosper
Gus than ever many new and beautiful
dwellings being erected there by summer
colonists.
These are interesting object lessons
to show what may be accomplished to-
ward getting rid OF mosquitoes IN any
part OF the country. But even more
striking In its way Is the instance OF
Staten Island, where the determination
OF the insects was sought mainly TO get
rid of malaria. The health authorities
OF New York undertook the Job Of clean
ing II up, and at an expense OF only
about $4,000 drained the swamps along
the entire coast. This involved the dig
ging Of some hundreds Of miles of
bitches. But, as a result, the mosquitoes
practically disappeared, window screens
were discarded. and meals began to be
served on the verandas OF hotels.
How Jersey Suffered.
up TO a few years ago Jersey City.
Newark. Elizabeth. and Paterson suf-
fered very seriously from mosquitoes
bred on the vast area Of salt marshes
known as the Hackensack Meadows.
Under the direction Of DR.. John B. Smith.
the task Of draining these marshes was
systematically undertaken in 1904, and
they have now ceased TO produce the
insects in any great numbers. bitches
dug for this purpose are thirty inches
deep and ten inches in width, and the
work, being accomplished with special
Is rapid and efficient. Its
cost will be paid many times over by
the reclamation Of the land, which
should prove to be Of. great fertility and
specially adapted for the production Of
truck crops.
The large cities along the Atlantic
Coast are supplied with mosquitoes bred
~, which In
are many miles away. These mosquitoes.
being Of migratory habit, fly inland long
distances, and, far outnumbering all
other species, make 1t a waste Of time
and labor 10 attempt to deal with those
locally produced. So far as the large
towns above mentioned are concerned.
however. the mischief has been done
away with TO a great extent by the
iitching OF the marshes.
You should understand that the salt
marsh mosquitoes viii fly forty miles
from the place where they are bred. |
They lay their eggs, not in the water, ]
out on mud-to be Matched when the
water flows over them. Recently acquired
knowledge has greatly extended our
IDEAS in regard TO the varied ways in
which mosquitoes accomplish reproduc-
ion. For example, the Catskin and
,ther mountain regions IN the East are
Afflicted by species which lay their eggs
n dry hollows in the ground. IN July. |
The eggs do not hatch until water from
Melting snow has filled the depressions
n the following spring. Thus there is
,nly one generation in a year. making |
Is appearance in May and persisting !
Intil midsummer.
Existed Before Human Beings.
Mosquitoes. We know, are very an
liant fnserts They erfs4ad IN III. earth
many millions Of years before the first |