232 



necessary, the stick may be withdrawn and the charge (of I oz. 

 bisulphide to 100 lbs. of corn) may be renewed. 



(Signed) A. H. CHURCH. 



A somewhat similar method was devised in Burma by Mr. 

 Cabaniss : naphthalene being employed instead of bisulphide of 

 carbon. 



NOTE by MR. F. W. CABANISS, Assistant Director of Agri- 

 culture, Burma, on the PREVENTION AND DESTRUCTION OF 



Black Weevil in Grain—Bins and Godowns, dated the 

 5th November, 1 886. 



The black weevil is an insect well known to grain dealers, I 

 suppose, the world over, and especially well known in tropical 

 climates. In India it eats the grain of wheat and maize from the 

 time it is reaped until it is in the hold of the ship, or made into 

 bread and the bread eaten. It will even eat bread after it has 

 been baked. It is most probably found in every rice, til, wheat, 

 maize, and sorghum godown in Burma. 



Like many other insects the black weevil seems to flourish 

 particularly well in Burma. This is owing to the even temperature 

 of the climate, as it dislikes the sudden changes to either heat or 

 cold. It is impossible to estimate the amount of damage caused 

 by this insect in Burma ; but it is enormous. A large percentage 

 of the shrinkage in stored grain can properly be attributed to 

 destruction by this insect. It is not detected unless in very 

 large numbers, but when the grain is cleaned by being passed 

 through a fan, mill, or winnower, grain which has already been 

 thoroughly cleaned will show a large amount of dust and a 

 material falling off in the weight of the bulk or bin of grain. The 

 natives try to combat the ravages of this insect by spreading 

 the grain in the sun and then placing gunny cloth on the top of 

 the grain, when the insect, disturbed by the heat of the sun, 

 crawls out of the grain to the top of the cloth and is then shaken 

 off, and the grain returned to the bin. This method of temporarily 

 getting rid of the insect cannot be followed when there is a large 

 amount of grain in store, on account of the expense of handling 

 the grain. 



I have been trying for several years a number of experiments 

 with the object of finding a cheap and simple method of prevent- 

 ting the ravages of this weevil. I think that I have found it in 

 the use of naphthalene powder. My method of using the powder 

 is here given for the benefit of the grain dealers of Burma. It is 

 best to place the naphthalene powder at the bottom of the bin or 

 bulk of grain. To accomplish this, take a bamboo, about I J 

 inches in diameter and long enough to reach from the top to the 

 bottom of the bulk of grain. Punch the joints out of the bamboo, 

 so as to be able to pass a stick through from one end of the 

 bamboo to the other. Have the stick made to fit the cavity in the 

 bamboo. Pass the bamboo, with the stick in it, down through the 

 bulk of grain from the lop to the bottom. Withdraw the stick, 



