4 AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 



usually worth all they cost; but the desired result was not ob- 

 tained, disappointment ensued and the belief in the possibility 

 of mosquito control was weakened. 



I have spoken of mosquito control rather than extermination, 

 because I do not believe actual extermination is possible in the 

 case of an insect that develops so rapidly and in such a great 

 variety of places. There will always be careless people and 

 there will often be unusual seasons that will give mosquitoes a 

 chance to maintain themseves ; but it is quite within our power 

 to deprive them of their larger breeding areas and to reduce them 

 to a point where they will cease to be obnoxious. Improvement 

 of the salt marsh conditions will prevent the migrations, and 

 will enable local communities to benefit by their enterprise in 

 improving conditions. Were it not for the marsh moscjuitoes, 

 Montclair and South Orange would nc^t even now need mos- 

 quito nettings ! 



While the work along shore occupied a large part of the time 

 and force employed, because I considered this work the key to 

 the situation, it did not prevent investigations in other direc- 

 tions. The cat-tail swamp along- the Hackensack was thoroughly 

 worked over and the verv unexpected yet gratifying discovery 

 was made that, as a mosquito producer, this may be practically 

 ignored until it is permanently improved. It breeds no migratory 

 forms and few of any other species. So the swamps along the 

 Passaic were pretty thoroughly investigated and even in the 

 Great Piece meadows the breeding areas Avere limited. One 

 species breeds here that has the migratory habit developed to 

 some extent, and this, syhcstris, does no doubt get into the imme- 

 diately surrounding country. The Orange Mountain region was 

 pretty thoroughly explored to determine what proportion of the 

 mosquito supply they furnished for the surrounding townships. 

 A part of the marsh area along the Delaware near Camden was 

 investigated, but work there was necessarih^ abandoned for lack 

 of funds. From Trenton to Bordentown a somewhat careful 

 exploration was made and in Trenton and its vicinity the mos- 

 quito breeding places were located at the request of the Board of 

 Health. 



This brings up another branch of the work done. At the re- 

 quest of any community or organized body intending to do local 

 work li always made a general survey of the territorv to locate 

 l:)reeding places and make report. Between twenty and thirtv 

 localities were thus Ujoked over and in a number of places con- 

 ditions were much improved. 



The breeding habits of the Aiiopliclcs or malaria carrving mos- 

 ([uitoes were ke]>t in constant view, and everv field agent had 



