382 AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 



here is all choked up, as it is further north, by the effects of the 

 same high tide already mentioned and nothing can be done to- 

 drain this meadow until the railroad ditch is restored in proper 

 shape. 



On the south side of Woodruff Creek from the Farmers road 

 to the Central Railroad there was a very bad breeding place. A 

 few ditches were cut here by the city under direction of Mr. Rich- 

 ards and some of the holes were filled. This little work has 

 greatly improved the territory involved and where millions of 

 mosquitoes used to breed in times past, none can develop now. 



On the north side of the Elizabeth River a very bad breeding 

 place has been found. There are many holes and depressions in 

 the low ground which hold water long enough to develop full 

 broods of wrigglers. All of these can be drained into the Eliza- 

 beth River without much trouble. 



On the area west of the New York and Long Branch Railroad 

 to the highland and Elizabeth River, some very bad breeding" 

 places were found. It was here that some of the work done under 

 the direction of Mr. Richards and referred to in his report was 

 done. Ditches six inches wide and two feet deep were cut with 

 the True ditching machine, and after this work was finished every 

 breeding pool was dry and no breeding has been found at any 

 time since the work was finished, though inspections have been 

 frequent and always under conditions when the work done might 

 be expected to break down — if at all. An incidental result of the 

 work was an increase in both the quality and quantity of the hay 

 crop on this meadow. A huge crop of the very best quality has 

 been harvested without difficulty on territory which in times 

 past was simply useless. 



The area from the Arthur Kill, the New York and Long 

 Branch Railroad east and west, and the Elizabeth River and the 

 highland north and south, contained many breeding pools and, 

 in 1903 was as bad as any place that has been discovered up to 

 the present time. The matter was brought to the attention of 

 Mr. Richards, who put in a gang to cut drains six inches wide 

 and tAvo feet deep. The entire area has now been cut up by 

 ditches fifty feet apart and no further breeding can ever go on 

 here provided the ditches are kept in order. They have stood 

 and worked perfectly for two full seasons and the hay crop here 

 has been fully equal in extent and value to that taken from the 

 other drained meadow. 



While the ditching was going on the pools were full of larvae 

 and, as the work could not be completed fast enough to prevent 

 the change to the adult, oil was spread over the water and almost 

 the entire brood annihilated. That was a case where its use was- 



