ORGANIZATION FOR MOSQUITO CONTROL 421 



imported from Europe into the United States. Dr. John B. Smith, of New 

 Jersey, investigated the plant in its natural habitat in Holland and also experi- 

 mented with the introduced plants in New Jersey. His investigations, which 

 need not be quoted here, demonstrated that for a number of reasons, which have 

 been already indicated in the foregoing discussion, Azolla has no practical value. 



ORGANIZATION FOR COMMUNITY WORK. 



While in a large measure it is true that everv^ individual householder prac- 

 tically breeds upon his own premises the majority of the mosquitoes that bother 

 him, still in a closely built city those bred by one's neighbors must be taken into 

 consideration. In isolated country houses the character of the region about must 

 be considered by the individual who concerns himself with this work, so that 

 here also some sort of an organization is desirable, and even frequently necessary, 

 as in cases where swamp lands are to be drained or where occasional invasions 

 of migratory species, such as Aedes solUcitans, are to be feared. The control of 

 all sources of mosquito supply in case of fresh water or brackish swamp land is 

 usually too great a task for the individual, although on the large estates of great 

 proprietors such work has been done at individual expense. In any sort of com- 

 munity, however, organization is desirable, not only to carry out the actual work 

 but to produce and to emphasize a universal sentiment in favor of the mosquito 

 crusade — a sentiment so strong and so general that every individual will cheer- 

 fully take part in the work. The pioneers in this country who, in 1901 and 1902, 

 attempted to arouse such a public sentiment, had much difficulty in educating 

 the people and in securing funds, but lately it has been an easier matter. Many 

 communities, large and small, have taken up anti-mosquito measures, and such 

 large cities as New York, Baltimore, New Orleans, Nashville, have given the 

 question serious consideration in their city councils and in their boards of 

 health, and have entered upon measures of greater or less efficacy. Many smaller 

 towns have begun the crusade also, and those which have been especially active 

 have been communities of summer resort. One of the early attempts was the 

 formation of the North Shore Improvement Association of Long Island, which 

 undertook a mosquito campaign involving over twenty-five square miles of terri- 

 tory along the north shore of Long Island, the territory including several villages 

 and many country homes of wealthy people. Following the first yearns work of 

 this Association a national anti-mosquito society was formed to encourage just 

 this kind of work, and this society has published instructions and pamphlets of 

 information which are at the disposal of all communities desiring to enter upon 

 the task of freeing themselves from mosquitoes. 



Theoretically community work should be done under official auspices, and 

 should be inaugurated by boards of health, but official action is slow, even in the 

 United States where there is, as a rule, less red tape than in older countries. 

 Moreover, official action in sanitary measures is often conservative as well as 

 slow. As already pointed out, the health question is not the only one involved. 

 Abundance of mosquitoes means enormous economic loss to a community, en- 

 tirely aside from the important question of health, and individual property 



