394 AGRICULTURAL EXPERLMENT STATION. 



tract in the salt hay, cut off from the Cape Marsh by the rail- 

 road, i. e., south of the inland railroad and a strip of depressed 

 places in salt hay north of the railroad. This is the most pro- 

 lific breeding- place for salt marsh moscjuito and extends from a 

 little west of South Cape May to Cape May City. The infested 

 area south of the tracks will either have to be filled with sand or 

 else be drained through sluices under the railroad together with 

 the area north of the tracks; though the character of the soil 

 seems to be too sandy to permit ditching. This salt hay breeding- 

 area on both sides of the track can undoubtedly be treated best 

 by grading. 



North of Cape Island Pike beyond South Cape May is the 

 remains of the race course and in this region are depressions 

 which were no doubt normally parts of the Cape Marsh before 

 the road was built ; now it is taken up largely by lily ponds where 

 some Anopheles breed but not in alarming- numbers. This de- 

 pressed area appears again in West Cape May. 



West Cape May. In West Cape May no serious breeding was 

 discovered because what would ordinarily be a breeding place, 

 i, e., the low land and sedge marsh from near Mechanics Avenue 

 in the northern part of the borough to Cape Island Pike and 

 back of the properties facing Broadway, is drained into Cape 

 Island Creek by way of ditches and sluices. Breeding there is 

 but sparsely near the pike in the sedges and salt hay, but this 

 can readily be remedied by extending- the ditches so that they 

 will drain the infected area thoroughly; likewise, where water 

 was standinsT free from erass, fishes were found, which had 

 found their way in by means of the ditches. 



Cape May. The problem in Cape May is not so complicated 

 as in South Cape May; it is really quite simple and requires 

 grading only, with a few exceptions. Between Seventh Avenue, 

 South Cape May, and Second Avenue;. Cape May, a series of 

 breeding pools exists after nearly every rain. Three chronic pools 

 on the south side of the West Jersey Railroad are the worst ones. 

 The other depressions on both sides of this railroad do not ag- 

 gregate as much as these three, one of which produced over 

 lo.ooo.ooo mosquitoes in one brood. The salt pond back of the 

 properties facing Second Avenue was filled with salt water this 

 season, stocked with fishes and safe. According to reports it 

 was created by the building of the railroad as were the three 

 chronic breeders mentioned previously and becomes perfectly dry 

 in some seasons. It must then be a serious breeder of the salt 

 marsh mosquito which constantly laid its eggs during- this sum- 

 mer in the salt hay along its edge, only to be devoured by fishes 



