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afraid that unless more extreme measures yet are adopted, this awful pest will get 

 such a foothold that it will be impossible to eradicate it. Now is the time to kill 

 them out. They can't stand severe cold, plenty of light and cleanliness, but they do 

 thrive in heated, dark and dirty places, such as many of our stores and feed shops 

 provide them with. If they once get a hold there they will increase marvellously 

 and spread rapidly. The winter is the best time to begin the wor of extermination. 

 In every place, mill or shoj) where there has been trouble, the frost should be allowed 

 to enter several times during the winter. When zero weather comes the windows 

 and doors shoiild be thrown open and the places cleaned thoroughly from top to 

 bottom and all the rubbish burnt. This would make a good beginning, to be followed 

 up next spring with great vigilance, and upon the first appearance of moths a prompt 

 application of the remedies recommended in Dr. Bryce's pamphlet and your reports." 



There can be no doubt but that if millers and produce dealers would all recognize 

 the danger of allowing this pest to increase, and would adopt the wise suggestions 

 of my correspondent above quoted, a great deal might be done towards the extermi- 

 nation of this enemy ; but this is a matter which, from its importance to the coun- 

 try at large, concerns everybody and 1 have not scrupled to request such consumerti 

 as have applied to me for information, to warn dealers from whom they have pur- 

 chased infested foods of the nature of the infestation, and at the same time to remove 

 their custom to such firms as would supply pure, clean food. 



So little attention was paid to this important matter by the millers of Toronto^ 

 and the insect was found to have increased to such an extent, that the Provincial 

 Board of Health found it necessary to issue, in October last, a printed circular letter 

 addressed to millers and produce men, from which we learn that the insect has been 

 found in several large establishments. The secretary of the Board (Dr. Bryce) 

 goes on to say : "The Board, in view of the measures taken, last j'ear, not only to 

 apprize millers and produce men of the nature of the pest which threatened them, but 

 also of the offers of co-operation in the endeavours made to stamp it out, should it 

 again appear, has to regret that its endeavours have not been seconded by the per- 

 sons most immediately interested. In view, therefore, of the great loss which the 

 reputation of the Province in the matter of pure grains and flours would sustain in 

 its export trade, in addition to the health interests involved, should the pest become 

 generally p]-evalent, the Board publishes herewith, not only the authority under 

 which its inspections and those of local Boards are made, but also the penalties 

 attached to anj' violation of the statute in the matter of selling unsound grain or 

 flour." 



A copy is here given of the Provincial Act (47 Yic, c. 38, s. 39 and s. 40), by 

 which it is provided, that any medical officer or sanitary inspector may at any 

 reasonable time inspect any mill and examine the goods being manufactured for 

 sale as food, and may condemn and order to be destroyed any food-products which 

 may be found to be unfit for use. In addition to this, the person exporting them for 

 sale shall be liable to a penalty not exceeding $100 for each parcel of grain, bread 

 or flour. 



An appeal is made to millers and others to co-operate in the important matter 

 of maintaining the reputation of Canadian grain and flour. In conclusion, the steps 

 to be taken to stamp out the pest are reprinted from the Bulletin issued last year, 

 so as to give them the widest possible publicity. 



Bemedies. — The remedies for this most persistent enemy have been already 

 referred to, and consist chiefly of great cleanliness and constant vigilance when the 

 perfect insects appear; frequent fumigation should be made with sulphur, so as to 

 destroy all the moths before they lay eggs for another brood. This should be done 

 night after night, until not a moth is to be seen. Dr. Bryce gives the following 

 instructions for making sulphur fumes ; " Place a metallic dish containing hot ashes 

 on some support in a pan of water, or place in an old pan or other vessel, a bed of 

 ashes at least 6 inches deep and about 15 inches in diameter, and place the sulphur 

 and saltpetre in a slight depression in the centre, and ignite. The proper propor- 

 tions are 3 lbs. sulphur and 3 oz. saltpetre per 1,000 cubic feet of air space. AH 



