PROCEEDINGS OF THIRTY-SIXTH FRUIT-GROWERS ' CONVENTION. 167 



efforts and successes, all of which contribute enormously to the efficiency 

 of labor and cause the wealth producing power especially in agriculture 

 to fall short of its normal capacity, is due in a marvelous and undreamed 

 of degree to that life-sapping disease, malaria, The man that is just 

 ible to 'crawl out of bed and drag around' is certainly not the man to 

 accomplish an efficient and full day's labor." 



The greatest demonstrations of disease control have been made in parts 

 of this country, in Cuba. Honolulu, and Italy, in controlling malaria and 

 yellow fever. Considerable work in mosquito control has been accom- 

 plished in various parts of this State. Mosquitoes breed in pools of 

 standing water, tide pools, along the margins of slowly moving streams, 

 in tin cans partially filled with water, in rain barrels, watering troughs 

 and the like. Indeed, very little water is necessary to breed hundreds 

 of mosquitoes. Again, the control measures require the elimination 

 of breeding places or the application of a chemical which will destroy 

 the wigglers. Drainage or filling up of unnecessary pools in spring, 

 overturning of receptacles which might collect water, in fact, a little 

 precaution will again save many a mosquito bite and perhaps cases of 

 malaria. A few teaspoonfuls of kerosene on a tank of water or a small 

 pond will serve very well ; open-box privies and cesspools should always 

 be so treated at frequent intervals. In irrigating the water should not 

 be allowed to remain in pools for long periods at a time, say not over 

 several days. Usually twenty-four to forty-eight hours will suffice for 

 ordinary irrigation purposes, and flooding for longer periods repre- 

 sents gross neglect or carelessness. Water standing over ten days 

 would be dangerous since the larval and pupal life of the mosquito may 

 be passed in less than two weeks. The use of metal, cement, or tile 

 irrigation ditches which will not only prevent lateral seepage, except 

 where wanted, will help greatly in lessening the great quantities of 

 mosquitoes now produced in poorly kept ditches. The metal, cement, 

 or tile ditches can be kept clean easily and the water running. Experi- 

 ments on a small scale show conclusively that the addition of a very 

 small percentage of tobacco decoction will destroy both wigglers and 

 pupa?, how successful this will be on a large scale remains to be proven, 

 but I have hopes that it will prove out well, and will then be a good 

 substitute for kerosene, with the addition that the nicotine containing 

 water may be used with impunity for irrigating purposes. 



If the resident? of rural districts will apply himself to the correction 

 of such unnecessary surroundings as have been here briefly pointed 

 out, he may expect to be amply repaid for his trouble. The most 

 beautiful and enjoyable parts of this earth are found among rural sur- 

 roundings and may be made more and more so by the expenditure of a 

 little extra energy in keeping things clean and in order — the rules of 

 rural hygiene are few and simple. (Applause.) 



PRESIDENT JEFFREY. Fellow delegates, if you would like to 

 ask any questions of Professor Herms we will have ample time to-night. 



MR. KELLOGG. I have been exceedingly interested in that paper 

 and a whole lot of reforms have gone through my head, but there is 

 just one question I want to clear up in my mind. I have lived in 

 new countries at different times and where they were troubled with 

 malaria, and we said, as the country got older, we were not so troubled 

 with malaria. I would like an explanation of that. 



