354 
JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 
[Vol. 13 
of about twenty-five. The additions were, however, gradual. The 
number of enlisted men available fluctuated considerably, ranging 
from none to fifty men daily, but with a rather low average, as will be 
seen from the accompanying table. 
The above table gives summaries of the work accomplished monthly 
during the period of extensive construction on Leon Creek. The work 
in certain places was expedited by the use of about 200 pounds of 
dynamite and 35 pounds of black powder. Such necessary imple¬ 
ments as picks, shovels, plows, scrapers, etc., used in the project were 
army properties. During this period an average of four double teams 
(of two mules each) were used for 64 days. 
Had the anti-malarial construction commenced early in the spring 
of the year the work would have been planned on a different basis than 
that actually carried out. However, due to the lateness of the season 
the initial work was planned to consist merely of building a narrow 
central channel along the entire length of the creek, to grade where 
necessary for a steady flow of water, to fill such pools if grading did 
not entirely drain them, to eliminate standing pools, and to clear the 
banks of vegetation and other matter which would interfere with the 
flowage thus giving opportunity for the propagation of mosquitoes. 
Following this preliminary work (Plate 7), which reduced mosquito 
breeding sources to a minimum, the narrow central channel was perma¬ 
nently graded and the banks of the creek regraded where necessary, 
and sodded, to withstand washouts by the heaviest rains (Plate 8). 
This last phase of the work was well under way and nearing comple¬ 
tion when, the Armistice having been signed, the writer was discharged 
from the service late in January, 1919. 
Since the jurisdiction of the army authorities was confined to the 
limits of the reservation our work was limited to those portions of 
Leon Creek which were within that area or formed parts of its bound¬ 
aries. However, the L T nit.ed States Public Health Service, with branch 
headquarters in San Antonio, under the direction of Major Gardner, 
appropriated a sum of money sufficient for the undertaking of improv¬ 
ing the creek outside the camp bounds. The work done by them, 
although of material benefit in the reduction of the pests, was of a 
temporary nature. The splendid cooperation between the two govern¬ 
ment departments was productive of wonderful results, as was noted 
by Colonel Lewis, Sanitary Officer of the Medical Department for the 
Air Service, while on a tour of inspection of the Flying Fields, at Kelley 
Field in July, 1918, by the following remark, “ There are very few 
flies in the camp and no mosquitoes.” 
