Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-21
War on New Jersey Mosquito
Nearing End, Say Scientists

New Jersey Is rapidly winning It;
light against the mosquito, and officials
believe that its determination is not
enly practicable, but also will open the
way for an increase of more than
s50,000000 in the taxable values in the
State within 20 years.
For some time it has seemed to be a
Battle between the mosquito and the
powerful New Jersey seashore interests,
put science, through the medium of
State and county agencies, is muster
eag all knowledge at its command and
pow it looks as If the insect is about to
lose out.
In fact, the fight has progressed to
such an extent that the time-worn "Jer-
sey mosquito" expression may soon be-
come memory
The possibilities to be achieved
through the elimination of this insect
nuisance may readily be seen in the
fact that of 10000 acres of potential
seashore development value only $500
acres have been utilized And IL is all
the more remarkable when one notes
that all of these 100000 acres are
ideally located between the $50 miles
Of coastline from Atlantic Highlands
10 Cape May.
Embraces Metropolitan Area.
Then, too, there is great opportunity
Of further Development of the metro
politan area IN northern jersey. The
commission defines this area as border
ing on the lower Hackensack Valley
and Newark Bay and Immediately ada
cent thereto. Such cities as Patrosh,
Passaic. Hackensack, Elizabeth, Newark
Hoboken, Union City, Jersey City and
Bayonne are included
It is pointed out that in this section
there are more than $4,000 acres of salt
marsh land, not more than 5 per cent
of which has been used for develop
Inent.
1t is admitted that progress there has
been hindered by the fact that the LAND
lies not more than 10 inches above
mean high tide and is from time tC
time covered by the sea. But 1t Is
planned to reclaim these lands by by
draulic fills, or by a process which Ii
known as fencing OUT the tides.
But even more damaging, experts de.
clare in the utilization of this section
10 its fullest extent has been the mos
quito pest.
Before anything was done to prevent
breeding, countless millions of these in
sects were produced during the Summer
in the stagnant pools found all oyel
these marshes and the maintenance o
large forces of industrial workers or
this area was greatly interfered with b.
the presence Of the pests.
Fight Began in 1905.
1t was I'm 1908 that the New Jerse.
State Agricultural Experiment Station
with local agencies, began its seemingl,
hopeless task of suppressing the salt
marsh mosquito within the metrOpoli
tan area. This work has continued Il
date.
In 1912 local agencies were organizes
in a broader way and county mosquit
determination commissions were au
thorized and appointed That year TN
commissions began work IN Essex an
Union Counties. In 1913 the work wa
taken UP in Hudson, in 1914 in Passal
and in 1915 in Bergen County. In addl
ton to suppressing the breeding 9
fresh-water mosquitoes the county com
missions have taken over the malnte
nance of drainage works established b
the experiment station, supplements
the drainage Of areas already partl
completed and undertook and carrie
out the drainage of areas hitherto un
touched.
A considerable portion OF the sa
marshes included in the metropohta
district are difficult to handle from
MOSQUITO control Standpoint, becau'
they have become ribboned with higf
ways and railroads. In addition lari
amounts of sewage have been pours
upon the lands.
Is fact. there are some areas whic