THE COUNTRY HOME [chapter 



are always going. The May beetle comes in large 

 numbers only once in three years. His approach 

 is heralded by the very large increase of moles that 

 feed on the larvse. Those that emerge feed, for a 

 few days, on our trees that are late in leafing 

 out — such as the butternut and the scarlet oak 

 and the ash. It is nearly impossible to success- 

 fully contend with this rapid feeder. 



Since the discovery that mosquitoes carry some 

 of the most dangerous bacteria, and are the medium 

 whereby many destructive fevers are spread, it 

 becomes essential to enter seriously into a cam- 

 paign against this insect. The most available ma- 

 terial for combating the mosquito is crude or re- 

 fined petroleum, sprayed over those pools and pud- 

 dles where mosquitoes breed. This should cover 

 those road pools and marshy spots which lie at quite 

 a distance from our houses. The application must 

 be made suflSciently often to make sure that we have 

 destroyed the larvse in the water. Be sure that 

 your cesspools are treated, and if you are careless 

 enough to have slop holes near your kitchen door 

 let them be thoroughly disinfected. In this way 

 malaria can be absolutely abolished from a neigh- 

 borhood, while we shall go very far to prevent 



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