Proceedings of Sixth Annual Meeting 25 



provide a few more political berths for the faithful. The idea of 

 exterminating mosquitoes was considered the joke of the century. 



"What was yesterday a farce is today a respected fact. Yester- 

 day, when men met to talk mosquito extermination, the impression 

 prevailed that the meeting was composed of wild-eyed visionaries. 

 Today, the practical men in the nation attend these conferences 

 and speak of a coming day when the mosquito will be practically 

 extinct wherever a man dwells. And the world, yesterday skepti- 

 cal, today listens with rapt attention. 



*Tt is a pity that those who carry the torch in advance of their 

 generation should find the way so hard. But then, perhaps if this 

 were not so, the world would half the time, be rushing pell-mell 

 after false prophets. Perhaps it is the human "show me" spirit 

 that saves us all from many a disastrous bump." 



President Engle: Gentlemen, are there any questions or dis- 

 cussion on this paper? I hear none. 



The next county on the program is Bergen County, a paper pre- 

 sented by Mr. E. B. Walden, Member from Hackensack. 



Dr. Brown: In the absence of Mr. Walden I have his paper 

 here, anticipating that he would be here to read it. He is a pioneer 

 in our work, but is unable to be here. 



Bergen County 



BY E. B. WALDEN, COMMISSIONER 



Bergen County has had rather a difficult row to hoe as a mosquito 

 fighting entity. Starting later than the adjoining counties, she had 

 a large acreage of tough, root-lined, sunken meadow to drain, and 

 some 200 square miles of upland breeding to control. To accom- 

 plish this the appropriations granted have been comparatively small. 

 At first the greater part of the money alloted for mosquito work 

 in this county was devoted to the elimination of salt marsh breeding 

 places. A net-work of 10-inch drainage ditches was installed and 

 tide-gates and dikes advantageously placed. The end of the 1917 

 season saw about 60 per cent of the necessary meadow work com- 

 pleted and more than a fair start made toward the abolition of the 

 more obnoxious inland breeders. We found ourselves, at that 

 time, with a well organized, smooth running machine with ex- 

 perienced men in every department and every chance to push for- 

 ward rapidly. Then we felt as did all other communities and in- 



