PLACE OF OILING IN ANTI-MOSQUITO WORK 169 



DISTRIBUTION OF OIL 



Where a large area is to be protected from mosquito breeding 

 by means of oiling, it is obvious that some convenient means of 

 transporting or distributing the oil must be worked out. In 

 other words, there must be some system of getting the oil to the 

 places where it is to be applied. 



Even in a small town of from 5,000 to 10,000 inhabitants, 

 the area in which operations must be conducted will cover several 

 square miles. Usually, the places that will require oiling will be 

 found scattered over all parts of this area. Obviously, the oiler 

 cannot get his oil to all these places without some means of 

 transportation. 



It has been the experience of the writer that procurement of 

 one or more light trucks, each carrying a barrel or two of oil and 

 each barrel being equipped with a faucet, is the best solution of 

 this problem for the average town. The driver of the truck 

 should also, where practicable, be foreman of the oiling gang. 

 Knowing the places which must be oiled, he can disperse his 

 men in such manner that he can easily keep each supplied with 

 oil, putting in the intervening time in following up and inspecting 

 the work. If the gang is a small one, or in case of an emergency, 

 he may assist in the actual oiling. 



In smaller towns, where the available funds will not justify 

 employment of a truck for this purpose, a one-horse wagon, 

 carrying a barrel of oil on the rear, will serve the purpose. 



Where even this is not available, barrels of oil may be dis- 

 tributed at the principal breeding-places in such manner as to 

 minimize the amount of walking required of the oiler. This 

 method also was employed on a very large swamp project upon 

 which the writer was engaged. At each distributing point- 

 carefully selected, so as to obviate as much "toting" of oil as 

 possible — a rack was built, upon which 4 or 5 barrels of oil 

 were left. A bung-borer and a faucet were also issued to the 

 oiler, so that, when one barrel was exhausted, he could open 

 another. When the supply got down to a barrel or so, the oiler 

 would requisition more oil. 



STORAGE OF OIL 



Whenever possible, supplies of oil should be stored in isolated 

 buildings, and if these buildings are fire-proof, so much the better. 

 Laborers frequently using oil soon become careless with it, and 



, ERSITY OF 





