44 N. J. Mosquito Extermination Association 



quito-drainage work was done about 1902 with ordinary shovels 

 and garden spades at an enormous loss to' the contractor. It was 

 then realized that special tools were necessary if the work was 

 to continue at a reasonable cost. Several trenching spades were 

 built, experimented with, revised and discarded. Finally, prac- 

 tical working devices were obtained and used on subsequent con- 

 tracts. 



These ditching spades are similar in design and only slightly 

 different in operation. One requires three men to operate it, 

 while another requires only two. If both are used on the same 

 basis, that is piece work or day labor, the per capita output is 

 much greater than, on the day labor and may be roughly set at 

 about double the amount. The finished ditch with both spades^ is 

 practically the same; the sods being laid in a row along one side. 



About four years agO' in Atlantic County a spade for the dig- 

 ging oi spur ditches from pools tO' the main laterals was devised 

 for one-man use. This spade digs a ditch 8 inches wide by 20 

 inches deep, whereas the main ditches are 10 by 30. This smaller- 

 sized ditch is ample ^^or the drainage of the many breeding pools 

 and avoids the waste of labor. 



Shortly after the introduction of special hand tools for salt- 

 marsh drainage, a power ditching machine appeared on the scene, 

 known as. the True Ditching Machine. It was invented in north- 

 eastern Massachusetts and originally used there for the drainage 

 of the salt marsh for improving the quality and yield of salt hay 

 and was then enlarged and altered for use in mosquito work. 

 A 3-sided blade was driven into the meadow, a hooked arm driven 

 under the sod, and the sod lifted and deposited at the side of the 

 ditch where a man was stationed tO' drag it into^ line. The ma- 

 chine was mounted on wide-rimmed wheels which were not broad 

 enough, however, to eliminate the necessity of laying planks on 

 the meadow for the machine toi run on. As far as I can ascertain, 

 it was used almost entirely in New Jersey and installed between 

 one and two million feet of ditches. Its average daily output for 

 the entire time has probably never been computed, but from 

 records kept on one contract in Atlantic County, its daily output 

 averaged 1,600 feet with a maximum of 2,900 feet. 



