i88 



at first by the State, and later one-half charged to the towns in 

 which the areas are situated. Of course, these measures may 

 fail to pass — I mention them here to show you some of the 

 ideas that are guiding the work in Connecticut. 



The County Commission system, so well established in New 

 Jersey, would be very difficult to inaugurate in Connecticut. We 

 have too many commissions. Our county commissions manage ' 

 the county jail, the court house, issue salooni licenses, and are 

 responsible to no one. They are elected by the party in power in 

 the General Assembly instead of by the electors of the county. 

 They cannot be removed from office, even by the Governor. The 

 present Legislature has already received bills providing for an 

 investigation of the county jails, and to abolish the county comr 

 missions, placing their duties elsewhere. Whatever the outcome 

 of these measures may be, it is true that the present County 

 Commission system is somewhat in disrepute in Connecticut, and 

 we thought it best to mobilize our forces over another route. So 

 far our law has worked fairly well, but we have lacked in organi- 

 zation, and, what is still more vital, in funds to provide it. A 

 fair-sized appropriation would completely remedy this difficulty. 



KFFKCT OI^ DITCHING ON THE CHARACTER OF SAI,T MARSH 



VEGETATION. 



In a small way we have made a beginning in studying the 

 effect on the vegetation, of ditching the salt marsh. It is only 

 a beginning, but it promises results of interest, and we hope to 

 be able to extend and continue it. 



Several observation plots of one-fourth acre each were laid 

 off and marked on salt marshes where the conditions were deemed 

 suitable for the work. A careful survey was made at the time 

 of the principal vegetation conditions. These plots were divided 

 into lo-foot squares, each square plotted, and the various kinds 

 of vegetation and areas of each were carefully noted and plotted. 

 I wish to mention only two of these areas marked in 191 2 when 

 the ditches were cut and again examined in detail in 191 5, three 

 years later. This work was done under my direction by Messrs. 

 B. H. Walden and P. L. Buttrick, and a published account may 



