44 



tupling- of its valuations, came not a slimiy, tempting serpent, but 

 a singing, winged, stinging pest — the mosquito. 



On the ehmination of the mosquito the future greatness of 

 Hudson County stands. Rid of this drawback of generations, 

 the greatest and last objection will be removed, and we shall 

 find the people hastening to take, come and enjoy her incom- 

 parable advantages, with the corollary of the greater civic life 

 that always comes with increasing population. 



Nows what has the Hudson County Mosquito Extermiination 

 Commission done to bring true this dream of a century? 



AVe have made about 818,000 feet of ditches on our salt- 

 marsh meadows, 140,000 feet of which were made in 191 6. 

 All the 140,000 feet made in 19 16 were twenty inches or more 

 in width. The new ditches through the meadows formerly cov- 

 ered by forests where there remain many tree stumps were 

 thirty inches wide. This is a great improvement in effective- 

 ness over the standard ten-inch ditch for the problem presented 

 by conditions existing' where the stump^s occur. 



All the 818,000 feet of ditches are in active working order. 

 In OUT work of keeping these ditches up to their highest effi- 

 ciency w^e have found it advisable to clean and repair 275,000 

 feet annually. 



The water from these ditches flows to our pumping stations 

 from 84O' acres in the Kearny district, and the balance goes with 

 natural drainage into the Hackensack and Passaic Rivers, or 

 into creeks which carry the flow^ to the rivers, keeping the 

 water flowing and saving the cost of oiling. The continuous 

 flow of water in these ditches w^as constantly miaintained. The 

 splendid efficiency of this kept the meadows in excellent condi- 

 tion, many parts being perfectly dry and safe, and free from 

 breeding. The pools which will develop outside the ditched area 

 w,ere oiled. This refers to' the marsh land. 



On the upland the work has gone forward in the approved 

 way. About 5,000 catch-basins have been oiled as many times 

 as was necessary to prevent breeding. Since its organization 

 the Commiission has permanently eliminated many thousands of 

 breeding places, such as barrels and tubs, cisterns, cesspools. 



