REPORT ON MOSQUITOES. 117 



cutting the grass and other vegetation round about and pihng it 

 over the little breeding places. This, by the bye, is an excellent 

 way of dealing with breeding places in roads where a soft spot 

 is rutted by wagons driving through it until it holds water 

 enough to mature a brood of mosquitoes. It is also a good plan 

 to burn over a marsh that is not used for hay, or during the 

 winter in any case. For some reason the mosquitoes seem to 

 shun these burnt areas, and Mr. Viereck, who kept such a place 

 under observation for some time, reported no developing larvcC 

 and few adults during the season. It tends also to the leveling 

 and more rapid drying out of the marsh and every method or 

 practice that has this effect is to be commended. The intent is 

 to level the surface so far as possible and to provide an outlet 

 for the water that falls upon or covers it. Once that is accom- 

 plished the area is mosquito safe and will remain so indefinitely 

 if the ditches are looked after each year and the marsh is kept 

 under occasional observation to note the possible development 

 of breeding areas through stonns, the carelessness of those who 

 may get up on it for hay or other purposes, and through any 

 other cause whatever. During the winter storms, for instance, 

 or when very high tides have covered the meadows, some of the 

 drains may become obstructed by driftage and that would, of 

 course, interfere with their proper working. A little work in 

 early spring would be all that is necessary with a survey in mid- 

 summer or earlier to fill with vegetation any overlooked or 

 newly developed surface pool. 



The ditching may be done either by hand or by a machine like 

 the "True ditcher." Where the area to be cleared is large and 

 long ditches are needed, the machine work is cheapest; but 

 where the area is small or the ditches are numerous and short, 

 hand work is most economical. Machine ditching should cost 

 little over one cent per running foot, but if sods are to be removed 

 and holes to be filled, that will add to the cost in proportion to the 

 amount of such work to be done. It ought not to exceed one 

 and one-half cents per running foot in any case. Hand ditching 

 costs a little more, but unless the territory is unusually difficult, 

 one and three-quarter cents should be considered an outside figure 

 for even the worst territory. 



For machine ditching a very satisfactory machine is that used 

 on the Newark meadows, known as the "True ditcher," by 

 means of which from 3,000 to 4,000 feet of ditching two feet 

 deep and from six to twelve inches wide, may be cut in a single 

 day. 



For hand ditching long narrow steel spades are used, square 

 edged to cut the sides, curved and a little grooved to level the 



