10 OS. 
979 
THE RURAL NEW-YORKER 
A STATE FIGHTS THE MOSQUITO. 
Handling the House Species. 
Part III. 
there are few of ns who can tell by the bite onq 
kind of "Jersey bird” from another, but the ento¬ 
mologist finds 33 different species in New Jersey. 
1 hese species are as definitely fixed as are those in 
higher animals. No two species of mosquitoes volun¬ 
tarily breed together, and their 
habits are definitely fixed. Some 
of them evidently need a meal of 
blood to fulfill their true functions, 
while others do not need blood. 
Some species never leave the shade 
of woods. Some bite by day— 
others mostly by night—and some 
rarely if ever enter a house. The 
pitcher plant mosquito lays eggs in 
the hollow trumpet-shaped leaves 
of the pitcher plant. This mosquito 
is either unable or not inclined to 
bite and suck blood. Its larvie 
do not need to come often to 
the surface of the water to breathe. 
We have given the habits of the 
salt marsh mosquito—the one New 
Jersey is fighting. Next to it as a 
pest is Culex pipiens—the house 
or rain barrel mosquito. The name 
comes from the persistence of this 
’“bird” in working its way into the 
house. While other kinds seem 
quite willing to stay out Culex 
pipiens constantly hunts for a place to enter. It win¬ 
ters in the adult or true mosquito form—unlike the 
salt marsh mosquito, which passes the Winter in the 
egg stage. In the Fall these mosquitoes seek some 
dark, sheltered place like a barn or a house cellar, 
where they remain curled up till Spring. There arc 
few dark cellars or basements in which a dozen or 
more of these mosquitoes cannot be found during 
Winter. The females only live over, and when warm 
weather comes they leave the cellar, 
seek food and lay their eggs. If they 
do not find blood they eat the juices of 
plants or fruit or foul material which 
they find in water. We have seen how 
the marsh mosquito lays its eggs in 
the mud, but the house insect seeks 
stagnant water and lays its eggs there 
in one or more “boats.” The eggs are 
stuck together in masses—each female 
laying about 400. These eggs hatch in 
about 24 hours—the little "wigglers” 
working out through the bottom of the 
egg and living in water a week or 10 
days, when they come out as true mos¬ 
quitoes. 
Culex pipiens does not “migrate” as 
the salt water “bird” does, but only 
travels for its food or a place to lay its 
eggs. 1 his habit will enable a farmer 
to keep this house mosquito in check. 
I he cellar should be fumigated in Win¬ 
ter to destroy the females waiting there 
and every possible place where stag¬ 
nant water collects drained or covered 
with oil. An old tin can or a bucket 
partly filled with water will give a 
chance for laying thousands of eggs. 
1 hese should always be turned over 
and all cisterns or pools covered with 
netting, so that the insects cannot get 
to water. At the farm we were trou¬ 
bled with mosquitoes, and could not tell 
where they came from until we found 
in the corner of an orchard an old 
tub partly filled with water. This water 
was alive with wigglers. It was prompt¬ 
ly emptied, thus destroying the only 
breeding place near the house. Some¬ 
times a can or a broken dish will be 
left out of sight in the grass. The 
rains partly fill it and within a month 
it is sending out hundreds of mos¬ 
quitoes. Cases have been known where 
hotels were alive with mosquitoes, 
though great efforts were made to get rid of them. 
It was found that the pests were developing in the 
pails of water hung about the halls for use in case 
of fire. Remember that mosquitoes cannot breed away 
irom water, but that a can or small pool may stock 
a house. For Winter fumigation—to destroy the 
adults—Prof. Smith recommends powdered Jimson 
weed (Datura stramonium) or “Culicide.” Eight 
ounces of the powdered weed will fumigate 100 cubic 
feet when burned in a close room. As for “Culicide” 
pain than the prick of a fine needle if the insect 
did not force into the hole a tiny drop of poison. 
The object is to thin out the blood so the mosquito 
can pump and handle it better. The human blood in 
its natural state is inclined to clot, but this poison 
changes it so that the blood becomes fluid and spreads 
out thin. The pain is caused by the action of this 
poison, and if it is injected it makes little difference 
so far as the sting goes whether the mosquito finishes 
his meal or is killed. It is even 
said that if the mosquito sucks her 
fill and then flies away the “bite” 
will not itch. The theory is that 
the insect removes all the poison in 
the blood it takes, while if it is 
killed before finishing the poison 
remains in the system. It is a mis¬ 
take to suppose that a mosquito 
“bites” only once. They will “fill 
up"—fly away to digest the meal in 
two or three days, and then come 
back for more. Prof. Smith men¬ 
tions an experiment with one mos¬ 
quito (Culex aurifer) which was 
removed again and again after 
“biting.” She bit down to the blood 
four different times, but was una¬ 
ble to make a fifth puncture. 
Prof. Smith says that ammonia 
water is the best remedy for mos¬ 
quito bites. The juice of an onion 
is recommended. Where there is 
much swelling a thin paste of bak¬ 
ing soda will help. As for repel¬ 
lents oil of citronella appears to give good results. 
This product is extracted from a plant (Andropogon 
Nardus). It may be applied to the hands, face and 
other exposed portions of the body, but should be 
kept well away from the eyes. When there is little 
perspiration the effect of citronella will last for an hour 
or more, but when there is much perspiration the 
period of effectiveness is shorter, and the oil is more 
likely to work into the eyes. Camphor is an active re¬ 
pellent. The fumes of the gum when 
burned in a room will drive the mos¬ 
quitoes to the window screen, where 
they may be killed. h. w. c. 
FIGURING CROPS IN ADVANCE. 
To your correspondent on page 630 
who asks for endorsement of his com¬ 
bined dairy and potato farm balance 
sheet, I would advise that he cut his 
estimate of potato receipts nearly in 
half. He may average 200 bushels pet- 
acre, but unless he has exceptional good 
fortune he will find that there will be 
lean years which will cut down the 
average crop considerably. I grow from 
25 to 50 acres a year, and have har¬ 
vested as much as 400 bushels; I try 
to give the crop the best treatment I 
can, but with the years of drought, 
over-much rain, blight, etc., I find that 
my long term average will not exceed 
125 bushels of marketable tubers. For 
example, the drought last year cut the 
crop to less than 50 bushels on land that 
in poorer condition had yielded 200. This 
year the drought will again cut the crop 
heavily, and there is no escape from the 
weather. If we could make crops equal 
to our figures, we should all be much 
wealthier, but as we have to take things 
as they come, it will be much safer to 
figure the crop at the average for the 
State in which we live, and if your 
correspondent does so, he will probably 
come nearer to the actual crop that he 
will average for 10 years or more. 
Counting unhatched chickens is pro¬ 
verbially unsafe, and equally so is fig¬ 
uring on the bank balance you are go¬ 
ing to have after you have harvested 
and sold the unsown crop. 
Rhode Island. h. w. heaton. 
R. N.-Y.—The enormous yields of po¬ 
tatoes reported in the West are seldom 
realized in the East. We believe Mr. Heaton’s esti¬ 
mate is fully high enough for average conditions. 
This Is from a New York farmer who comes with 
with a dignified and forcible criticism of a public wrong : 
“When a farmer has a kick to make he turns to you as 
naturally as a duck to water.” 
A New Jersey man is reported to protect his young 
chickens from hawks by keeping several large boy kites 
flying above his henneries. The hawks avoid these 
weird-looking high-fliers, and take to the woods. The 
plan is well worth trying. 
Prof. Smith thus explains its composition and use: 
Mims’ “Culicide,” is made of equal parts, by weight, of 
carbolic acid crystals and gum camphor. The directions 
are: take one pound of carbolic acid crystals and liquefy 
by placing the bottle in hot water; take one pound of 
gum camphor, break, into small pieces, place in a one-quart 
jar .and as the acid liquefies pour it over the gum cam¬ 
phor, which will be gradually dissolved. When all the 
acid has been poured over the camphor and I he latter 
has dissolved, there will be one full quart of a slightly 
reddish, heavy liquid. This is the Culicide, which will re¬ 
main in this condition indefinitely, if kepi covered. 
NEW SEEDLING PEACH FROM ELBERT A AND BELLE. Fig. 300. 
T' ree ounces evaporated in a closed room will suliice to 
kill all flies, mosquitoes and other insects in 1.000 cubic 
feel of space. These three ounces of Culicide will do the 
work of eight ounces of Datura stramonium. 
It is usually heated in a metal pan over an alcohol 
lamp or stove. 
The State of New Jersey spends money to destroy 
the breeding places of the marsh mosquito because 
this pest flies all over the State, and could not he con¬ 
trolled by individuals. The house mosquitoes must 
PHILIPPINE LILY WITH FOUR BLOOMS. Fig. 310. 
Sec Ruralisms, Page GS2. 
be fought at home. By fumigating cellars in Winter 
and preventing any standing water near the house 
the great majority of these pests can be destroyed. 
The most interesting thing about any mosquito is its 
“bite.” It does not try to suck blood because it hates 
mankind, but because it wants food. The insect has 
no biting jaws or anything that corresponds to them. 
What it does is to run a small lance-like rod through 
the skin, and through the opening thus made suck 
or pump out blood. This would give us no more 
