55 



I^RESH-WATKR SWAMP MOSQUITO. 



Drainage work inland will be carried on so as to overcome 

 so far as possible the third and as yet only partly solved problem, 

 the control of the fresh-water swamp mosquito. As part of this 

 work it is hoped to get sufficient funds to drain 300 acres of 

 swamp land lying along the Elizabeth River in Union Township, 

 an area which throws out vast broods of mosquitoes into the 

 thickly populated sections nearby. 



In the future one of our big problems will be keeping open 

 the outlets of salt-marsh creeks and ditches, which are being 

 blocked up by debris and raw sewage, which is drained onto the 

 marsh by the city of Eilzabeth. We expect to have our own 

 kerosene dredge, operating a 9-cubic-foot orange peel bucket, 

 mounted on a 36-foot scow, at work in a few weeks, maintaining 

 the larger outlets. 



The status of the work can be judged by an analysis of the 

 night collections of the past season; 574 collections of 15 

 minutes each were made in the cO'Unty in 1916, from May to 

 October, and 1,119 specimens were taken on the wang, or less 

 than 2 per station ; 23 per cent, of these were salt-marsh mos- 

 quitoes as against 41 per cent, in 191 5; 8 per cent, pipiens as 

 against 36 per cent, in 191 5 (pipiens did not appear until August 

 I, 191 6) ; 69 per cent, swamp mosquities as against 22 per 

 cent, in 191 5. 



In conclusion would state that with the exception of this year's 

 estimate, our budgets have constantly decreased each year, as 

 the following table will show : 



,1912 (6 mo.), $28,000.00 



191 3, 26,000.00 



The increase in the amount this year is due to a decrease by 

 the Board of Freeholders of $2,000 in the 19 16 budget, causing 



1914, 



191 5, 

 1916, 



25,500.00 

 23,000.00 

 22,000.00 

 26,585.00 



