Proceedings of Sixth Annual Meeting 



33 



Essex County 



BY EDWARD W. JACKSON, COMMISSIONER 



For the purpose of mosquito control work, Essex County has 

 been divided into two units, salt marsh and upland, each in charge 

 of an executive head and a separate field organization. On the salt 

 marshes 475,737 feet of existing ditches were cleaned and 10,095 

 feet of new ditches dug. To prevent mosquito development, 8,009 

 gallons of oil were spread. The circulatory system was tried in a 

 small way, but it has not been in operation long enough to establish 

 positive results. It is proposed, however, to continue the experiment 

 on a more extended plan. Four new tide-gates were also installed, 

 one of a new type, consisting of concrete piping instead of the 

 wooden box flume. It is the opinion of our Chief Inspector that 

 concrete pipes will be of long duration, because they are not subject 

 to rust, as is the case with the hardware in wood construction, nor 

 to the deterioration of the wood itself. Then again the cost of 

 installation is less. 



For some time past large tracts of salt marshes have been re- 

 claimed for industrial purposes, and this filling up process has 

 materially aided in mosquito extermination. While plans for mos- 

 quito control were frequently required to be altered to meet chang- 

 ing conditions, the Commission has had the fullest cooperation of 

 all the various Government War Boards and contractors in the re- 

 establishment of its drainage system. Due, however, to such 

 changes, certain broods of cantator mosquitoes escaped from small 

 meadow areas in May; at other times breeding was confined to 

 ditches and there controlled. 



An experiment was made this fall of cutting high grass and reeds 

 along the ditches and throwing them back. It is the belief that this 

 effect will be to lessen the amount of cleaning to be done in the 

 Spring. 



The upland territory was divided into districts with inspectors 

 and assistants making general and house-to-house inspections, fol- 

 lowed by oiling crews to control breeding. During the season, 

 339,000 feet of ditches were cleaned and 152,000 feet of new ditches 

 dug. To prevent mosquito development, 8,541 gallons of oil were 

 spread, and all catch basins throughout the County were oiled 

 from July 8 to Septemiber 24. 



