424 AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 



fish, but the smaller pools in great quantity offered opportunity 

 for mosquito breeding. South of this point the marsh narrows, 

 but at about one-third of the distance between Life Saving Sta- 

 tions 17 and 18, it broadens again and affords abundant oppor- 

 tunity for innumerable larvae. Just west of Station No. 18 is 

 the broadest stretch of marsh area until the Junction is reached, 

 but most of this area is entirely safe, all the pools being large 

 and stocked with killies. Only at the junction of the marsh and 

 highland are there any breeding areas. Between that point and 

 Harvey Cedars most of the hay shore is safe and part of it is 

 highland to the edge ; the little strip of marsh being mostly safe. 



West of Harvey Cedars is another, considerable, dangerous 

 marsh area, and from that point to the Junction there is a continu- 

 ous strip of marsh, most of it narrow. 



Mr. Brehme earlier in the season began his line of work at 

 Beach Haven and devoted much of his time to the islands, find- 

 ing them in every case mosquito-free. His work here joins his 

 report on the Tuckerton and Mullica River district, completing 

 that section of the cost. Mr. Mellor's report on Beach Haven 

 fits in here and leaves the stretch from the end of the work done 

 here tO' the Junction, which I covered myself, though in a rather 

 superficial manner. 



In fact, the whole stretch of Island Beach is about one kind of 

 problem divided into two parts. First, there are the depressions 

 in the sand hills, mostly small, but toward the bay side some- 

 times opening into the marsh. Second, there is the salt marsh 

 area, mostly narrow, much of it naturally drained, but generally 

 with a fringe of bad territory at the edge of the highland. The 

 railroad is a factor, extending as it does almost the full length of 

 the beach. On one or both sides of the road bed is a broad ditch 

 and this ditch on the bay side is relieved at intervals by broad 

 ditches led into the bay. The scheme is excellent, but unfortu- 

 nately the ditches have been allowed to fill up with rubbish and 

 vegetation, and while they serve their purpose of draining the 

 road bed, they form excellent breeding places at many points 

 where even the killies find it impossible to get. 



The depressions among the sand hills can be graded out of ex- 

 istence in most cases and as much filling as possible should be, in 

 general, resorted to. The shallow sod covering to the marshes 

 does not lend itself to narrow ditches ; it will need wide main 

 ditches and at least foot wide laterals to do effective work and it 

 will need attention to keep these ditches clean. 



The Beach Haven account, which follows, is a sample of what 

 will be needed to a greater or less extent along- this whole stretch 



