the inclusion in this year's work of several necessary items 

 omitted last year, and also on account of the purchase of the 

 scow and dredge referred to above. These are unusual items, 

 and with a decreasing amount of breeding places each year our 

 expenditures will continue to decrease until a minimum figure 

 for our organization and the maintenance of the work is secured. 



I simply want to say in conclusion that the last year was 

 probably the best year that we have had in Union County ; that 

 probably about ninety- five per cent, of our territory, that is, 

 say ninety-five out of one hundred of the inhabited square miles 

 of the county, the people could sit out in comfort on the un- 

 screened porches throughout the entire summer; that probably 

 only five per cent, of the population failed of complete protec- 

 tion, and that this small proportion had satisfactory protection 

 for the greater part of the season. 



Chairman Brinkkrhoi^i^ — Middlesex Couny is represented 

 by Charles S. Cathcart, of New Brunswick. 



Status of Mosquito Control Work in Middlesex County. 



BY CHARI^ES S. CATHCART, TREASURER OF^ MIDDI^KSKX COUNTY 

 MOSQUITO EXTERMINATION COMMISSION. 



During the past three years the problem of the Middlesex 

 County Commission has been to complete an efficient and eco- 

 nomical salt-marsh drainage. Before our work began the 8,000 

 acres of salt marshes contained only 440,000 feet of ditches, 

 while experience shows that a minimum total of 1,500,000 feet 

 are necessary for an adequate drainage system. The funds 

 available for the work were limited, being $5,500' for twO' years 

 and $6,5001 for the past season, and, consequently, the work has 

 not progressed as rapidly as we desired. The Commission has 

 been able, however, to increase the total number of feet of 

 ditches to about 800,000, which shows that the work is a little 

 more than half completed. 



The ditches dug during the first two' years were the results 

 of hand labor, but last year on account of the scarcity and high 



