REMEDIES AGAINST MOSQUITOES 183 



with, or shall offend against the provisions of this ordinance, 

 shall for each offence or failure be liable, upon conviction there- 

 of, to pay a fine of one dollar, Avhich shall be recoverable as in-o- 

 vided by section 9 of the General Ordinances of the City of Win- 

 chester. 



6. The sum of $25 is hereby appropriated for the enforcement 

 of this ordinance, in addition to the compensation of the in- 

 spector, in case one shall be appointed. 



I venture to predict that these papers will eventually 

 possess an historical value, since without doubt other 

 communities will soon follow the example set by this en- 

 terprising Virginian town, and that mosquito warfare on 

 these or somewhat similar lines will before long become 

 a part of the duty of very many communities and of all of 

 their citizens. ^ 



Taking, therefore, the value of kerosene as proven, a 

 word must be said as to the best grade of kerosene, and 

 the best method of applying it. 



In choosing the grade of the oil two factors are to be 

 considered. First, it should spread rapidl3^ Second, it 

 should not evaporate too rapidly. The heavier grades of 

 oil will not spread readily over the surface of the water, 

 Ijut will cling together in spots, and the coating will be 

 unnecessarily thick. Mr. AY. C. Kerr, who conducted the 

 extensive experiments on Staten Island, to which we have 

 several times referred, tried several kinds of oil, and 

 found to be best adapted a low grade of oil known afi " fuel 

 oil," supplied by the Standard Oil Company. Of the oils 

 which he tried, some contained too much residuum of a 

 thick nature which appeared as a precipitate, and could 



