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It might naturally have been supposed that millers and produce dealers would 

 have taken a little trouble to understand this matter and assist the Government in 

 carrying out these measures which were being adopted for their special benefit; 

 but such is by no means the case ; and a most remarkable apathy and indifference 

 prevails amongst millers in the very centre where one of their number has suffered 

 eo severely for unwittingly committing the same offence of " not thinking there 

 was anything to fear," when the moths were found on his premises, which some of 

 themselves are now guilty of, with the great difference that they, having been 

 warned and shown the danger to themselves, their country, and the whole of North 

 America, have no excuse for such unpardonable carelessness. 



It is strange that no enquiries for information concerning this much-to-be-dreaded 

 enemy have been sent either to the Ontario Board of Health or to this Department 

 from millers of the city, where it first occurred and still exists. The enquiries have 

 all been from millers of other Canadian or United States cities, where the moth had 

 not appeared, or from consumers who have, upon several occasions, sent in larvae for 

 identification. 



With regard to the steps taken by the Provincial Board of Health, and the Milling 

 Company, on whose premises the caterpillars of the Mediterranean Flour Moth worked 

 such havoc last year, it is very satisfactory to be able to report that they were entirely 

 successful. The manager ofthe mill, writes as follows : " I am thankful to say we are en- 

 tirely free of them ; but knowing the great danger if we ever allowed them to get a foot- 

 hold in our premises, we have exercised the closest scrutiny the whole time, and 

 every suspicious appearance has been at once attended to. A few straggling speci- 

 mens were seen last spring. One hearty full-fledged fellow was found in the office 

 in April. This must I think have come out of the books, which were not steamed. 

 A few shrivelled up .specimens were found in the packing room in Jxme, and these we 

 traced to an old trunk containing some clothes that a mill-wright had left, who had 

 worked in an infested mill. This trunk had escaped our notice when the other 

 things were steamed. "VVe kept a sharp lookout all summer, and the only other dis- 

 covery was under a hopper that had been put down without steaming. As soon as 

 this was discovered we put the hopper and all material around it into the furnace. 

 From the above fiicts you will see what a terrible pest this is to get rid of. We were 

 not absolutely clear of the moth until mid-summer, even after all the steaming, burn- 

 ing and extra caution we had taken. Since August, however, we believe and claim 

 that we have been absolutely free; but if we had not adopted all the measures 

 referred to by Dr. Bryce in his report and followed up the stringent measures with a 

 vigilance that many people considered altogether unnecessary, we should not have 

 been clear of it now ; but we feel sure that the pest would have come upon us with 

 increased strength. We have great confidence in steam as a remedy, and we have so 

 planned our mill that we can at any time fill it with steam and sulphur fumes should 

 it ever be necessary. We keep it also cold — freezing cold — and have plenty of light. 

 During this summer we have kept it thoroughly cleaned and dusted, and some places 

 scalded, all ceilings and walls swept several times. Every bag, barrel, package and 

 movable thing moved frequently, and in this way we have at last conquered this dire 

 enemy. You enquire about possible infestation by means of bags returned to us. 

 With regard to these, and sometimes goods from shops which may have been infested, 

 I may say that we have had a room built which we heat up to 250° and into this we 

 put everything we are the least doubtful of. This is not much trouble; at least, we 

 do not consider it so, when we consider the possible danger it saves us from, and if 

 some of the men who ai'e now making light of this scourge, should get into the posi- 

 tion we were in, they will wish they too had taken this precaution. 



" In conclusion, sir, I do trust that you will not let this matter drop. I have 

 been surprised all this summer to see the apathy, indifference and manifest careless- 

 ness about this moth on the part of those most interested. I have repeatedly tele- 

 phoned and written about it. I also sent out and investigated certain stores, and 

 found that in some places they were swarming ; again, others came and told me that 

 they were infested with the moth and did not know what to do about it. I am still 



