2i5 . 



and of oats and Grass peas, are sometimes used instead of oats and 

 field peas for the production of green fodder and of hay. 



Treatment for the Pea Weevil. 



Within the past seven years about thirty different treatments of 

 peas have been made in the Experimental Department for the destruc- 

 tion of the pea weevil. In handling the crop, care has been taken 

 throughout to pull the peas at the proper time, to haul them to the 

 barn when dry, and to thresh them as soon as possible. Th« late 

 varieties have usually been threshed immediately on coming from 

 the field, but the early varieties have sometimes remained in the barn 

 for a few days, or perhaps for even a week. The threshing has 

 usually been done with a machine, but occasionally with a flail. 



Method of Fumigation. Immediately after threshing the peas 

 were put into cotton or jute bags. As soon as thirty bushels of peas 

 were threshed they were placed in a fumigation box for treatment. 

 One pound of carbon bisulphide was poured out into three flat pans, 

 which were placed on the top of the peas ; the cover was then put 

 on the box and weighted with heavy stones. After forty-eight hours 

 the cover was removed and the box ventilated. The pans had become 

 dry, as the liquid had changed into a gets, which, being much heavier 

 than air, had sunk down amongst the peas penetrating them and 

 killing the weevils. The quantity of carbon bisulphide used by us 

 was larger than that usually recommended, as a pound or a pound 

 and a half is generally considered sufficient for 100 bushels of peas, 

 but we wished to err on the safe side. 



Effectiveness of Fumigation. Only once during the seven 

 years did we find live weevils after treatment. In this instance, 

 the treatment was repeated by using one and one-half pounds of 

 the liquid, but again a few live weevils made their appearance. 

 After a third treatment, however, with two pounds of the liquid, 

 no live weevils could be found. We were never able to account 

 for the ineffectiveness of the treatments at this particular time. On 

 all other occasions, the insects were destroyed by the first treat- 

 ment, no mati,er whether they were in the larvae form, in the pupa 

 stage, or had become fully developed. We find, from correspondence 

 with a large number of exporters, that the treatment with carbon 

 bisulphide is almost always effectual in killing the weevils with 

 one treatment. One of our e.xporters, however, writes us as follows -. 



"Carbon bisulphide treatment has not always been successful in killing all 

 the weevils in the peas. The amount of carbon bisulphide which I have found to 

 give the best results is one gallon to two carloads of peas, or 450 to 500 bags. 

 (This is a little more than one pound to 100 bushels). It is generally assumed 

 that the treatment in the air-tight chamber, or " bug-house," for a period of 24 

 hours will be efTectual. Last year, however, having a quantity of peas for ship- 

 ment to the English market and being desirous of treating them effectually, I 

 placed them in the "bug-house," and kept them there for nearly a week, and 

 gave them two treatments of carbon bisulphide. After the peas reached England 

 my correspondents there reported that there were still some live weevils in them 



