244 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



evil can be appreciated only by those conversant with the situa- 

 tion. It is surprising, though nevertheless true, that there are 

 practically 200 (199.15) square miles of swamp land within 25 

 miles of New York City Hall. Nearly 100 (95.55) square miles 

 of this salt marsh are within the boundaries of New York State, 

 and very little (1.75 sq. m.) fresh water. New Jersey has over 

 100 square miles (101.85), 41.4 being fresh water swamps. The 

 proximity of this entire area to New York city makes it of consid- 

 erable importance, particularly as portions produce billions of 

 annoying pestiferous insects, which have a detrimental influence 

 on the value of adjacent highlands. Certain of these insects are 

 a serious menace to public health, and swarms of the otheiis are 

 nearly unendurable nuisances. 



The extended areas favorable to the production of mosquitos, 

 and the fact that not all marshes lend themselves kindly to 

 political boundaries, make it difficult to devise practical methods 

 of checking the evil. The work so far done about New York has 

 been performed under considerable disadvantages. On account 

 of the lack of funds, it has been impo'ssible for local associations 

 to give proper attention to the scientific aspects of the case and at 

 the same time carry on the extensive field operations necessary. 

 Experience in other lines of applied entomology has demonstrated 

 time and again not bnly the advisability but the necessity from 

 an economic standpoint of basing practical work on scientific 

 investigations. No one thinks of employing an architect to super- 

 intend the construction of a dry-goods box, and yet the man who 

 undertook to erect one of the modern large buildings Avithout such 

 skill at his command would be engaged in a foolish undertaking. 

 In the same way, it requires little scientific knowledge to drain a 

 small swamp or kill a few mosquitos, particularly if they belong 

 to only one or two species. It is entirely different when we 

 undertake to applj^ this process to large areas, possessing consid- 

 erable diversity and possibly lying in different sections of the 

 State. This can be done to advantage only afteir extended 

 studies have demonstrated the advisability of certain courses for 

 the control of various species under different conditions. The 



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