August, ’20] 
DOHANIAN: MOSQUITO CONTROL 
353 
the drip. In this manner the creek was supplied, throughout the pe¬ 
riod of construction, with a steady, uniform, and a very thin film of oil. 
Impurities and heavy ingredients in the oils necessitated weekly ad¬ 
justments of the nozzle of the drum. Extreme care was constantly 
exercised to drip the minimum amount of oil necessary for the preven¬ 
tion of mosquito breeding, to eliminate any danger to live stock using 
the water down stream, and to the colonies of top-minnows living within 
it. In several places along the banks of the creek springs caused per¬ 
manent pools of fresh water, into which top-minnows were introduced 
to good advantage. 
. It was evident that the true condition of the creek was not appre¬ 
ciated by the authorities until their attention was called to it by the 
writer upon assuming the duties of camp entomologist. On May 1, 
1918, only seven Mexican laborers were engaged in improving the 
creek, the work being to clear the banks of the vegetation. Had its 
real dangerous character been realized more than seven times seven 
men would have been employed early in the season before the advent 
of mosquitoes. Considerable filling, cutting and grading were neces¬ 
sary to secure a thoroughly sanitary condition, particularly if the 
improvements were to be of a permanent nature. And the ultimate 
object of the anti-malarial construction was the permanent eradica¬ 
tion of mosquito breeding in the creek. Accordingly requisitions were 
made not only for an increase in the number of Mexican laborers but 
also for as large a number of enlisted men as could daily be spared from 
other necessary duties to work upon this project. Because of the com¬ 
plex military methods of procedure some little time elapsed before the 
number of Mexican laborers was increased from seven to an average 
Nature of work 
June 
July 
Aug. 
Sept. 
Oct. 
Nov. 
Dec. 
Totals 
Policing the creek 
{Figs, in linear ft.) 
6,700 
8,325 
6,750 
6,800 
9,550 
7,660 
5,500 
51,285 lin. ft. 
Banks treated 
(Figs, in linear ft.) 
2,100 
7,300 
1,200 
850 
575 
575 
12,600 lin. ft. 
Re-sodding 
(Figs, in sq. yds.) 
6,200 
8,400 
14,600 sq. yds. 
Cuts made 
(Figs, in cubic yds.) 
343.8 
512.5 
475.1 
338 
521.5 
826 
320.3 
3,337.2 cu. yds. 
Fills made 
(Figs, in cubic yds.) 
826.7 
1738.2 
2643.6 
4170.1 
3281. 
2099.3 
2234.4 
16,993.3 cu. yds. 
Oil used 
(Figs, in gallons) 
65 
60 
50 
60 
60 
55 
35 
385 gallons 
Average 
Labor 
Soldiers 
6 hours/day 
17 
7 
4 
9 
3 
6 
3 
7 men per day 
Mexicans 
8 hours/day 
10 
16 
27 
24 
25 
25 
21 
21 men per day 
