Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1915-12-31
ExtermIuauon OF Mosquitoes

beginning to realize the Importance Of
an eff TT 10 ltssen the mosquito pest
and 10 agitate the matter so that local
governments will take hold of the
question and make The necessary APP
preparation to which the state will add
10y law n certain amount. Former
Judge J.. NJ. E. Hildreth and Luther
G. Ogden ale active in promoting the
work. The following letter will throw
some light on the SUBJECT:
NEWARK, N. J., Nov. "a, 1915.
Mr.. L. G. Ogden, president,
Board of Trade, Cape May, N. J.
Dear Str:-Your favor of November
18th addressed to Mayor Raymond, was
referred to this department for the in
formation which you desire.
The City of Newark is the pioneer of
mosquito determination WorK on the
salt meadows of the stale. When the
first dilching on the salt meadowsi in an
experimental way, was undertaken in
1903, the result was SO apparent that 10
1904 the Common Council upon the rec
ommendation OF the Board of Health,
appropriated $4,000 for salt marsh
ditching on those meadows lying with
in the jurisdiction of the City of New
ark. In 1905 au act "To provide for
locating and sbolishing mosquito breed
ing salt meadow areas within the state;
for assistance in dealing with certain
inland breeding places, and appropriate
ing money to carry lis provisions into
effect" was passed by the Legislature.
This bill carried the provision that
$780, was appropriated for this
work, to be expended annually in
amounts set aside by the appropriation
committee. In 1907 the state expended
part of this appropriation or the salt
marshes of the City of Newark, and
since that time there has been more or
less work done ON the meadows.
In 1912 the Legislature passed an act
creating county mosquito extermina.
ton commissions, aud the Essex
County Commission took up the work
which had been, up to that time, car
ried on by the Board of Health of this
city.
At the present time the entire salt
marsh area of 1900 acres situated with
in the city limits, has been dIained and
rendered practically free of mosquito
breeding. The result of this drainage
work is successful; but one drawback
which seriously handicaps this result
has been, that while the salt marsh of
Essex County was rendered safe, salt
marshes of adjacent counties, which be-
gan the work later, and which has not
been completed as yet in parts of Hud-
son and Bergen Counties Bergen
County only having taken up the work
the summer of 1915, have furnished
mosquitoes from time to time which
invaded our county.
Drainage of salt meadows for mos
quito control brings larger returns in
salt hay values, as it has been
thoroughly demonstrated adrained area
will render two crops of salt hay of
much better quality than an undrained
area.
l am en- closing reports and other lit
erature on this subject and any further
information which you may desire l
will be glad to furnish.
AS to whether the work has proven
effective in a tually Kidding the county
of mosquitoes, l might say that aside
from a period of two weeks in August
last when excessive rains SO hand
icapped us, mosquitoes were noticeable
only in the northern part of the county,
these mosquitoes having come from
Bergen; and while they have not been
entirely exterminated as yet, they have
been SO reduced that only occasionally
are they felt in any considerable num-
beers.
Yours very truly,
JOHN w. DoBBINS,
Chief Inspector, Essex County
Mosquito determination Commission.
Coast Guard Hold Practice Shoot