ii8 



ness. Any portion of the store-house left unswept for a length 

 of time forms a breeding place for pests of this nature. It is 

 good practice to periodically transfer piled stocks of wares from 

 one place to another that has been thoroughly swept and white- 

 washed with a mixture of lime and kerosene. Frequent dusting 

 of books and book cases will disturb these insects and prevent 

 their activity among them. One of the sources for infestation 

 of household or store-house with any pest is the source of supply 

 like grocery stores, drug stores, and other warehouses from 

 which goods are bought. It should, therefore, be the care of 

 the store and housekeeper to examine materials with an eye to 

 detect the presence of injurious pests. 



Once a covered book case or store house has been invaded and 

 if repeated cleaning fails to produce the desired result of checking 

 injury by this and smaller pests, we are obliged to resort to 

 drastic measures. One of the most effective checks is fumiga- 

 tion by means of carbon-bisulphide. This substance is an ill 

 smelling liquid, procurable in drug stores, which evaporates in 

 ordinary temperature and, therefore, feels cold to the touch, and 

 the vapors are heavier than air. It should also be borne in mind 

 that the substance is extremely inflaniinahle and must, therefore, 

 be kept azi^ay from fire of any kind. While it is not instantly 

 fatal to man, it is advisable to inhale as little of it as possible. 

 The vessel which may be either the present container of the ob- 

 jects to be fumigated or specially constructed boxes or chambers 

 in which the fumigation is to be done, should be made as nearly 

 air-tight as possible, particularly so at the bottom. The liquid, 

 which is to be used at the rate of i pound to about one thousand 

 cubic feet, is best poured out into shallow vessels which are 

 placed as near the top of the fumigation chamber as possible. 

 The objects to be fumigated being placed below, packed 

 loosely. The chamber should be closed immediately after 

 the liquid is poured out and left closed for at least twenty- 

 four hours. It is then opened and by means of a natural or 

 artificial drafts thoroughly ventilated and invariably the pests 

 are found dead. In case of bad infestation a repetition of this 

 operation may be necessary at the end of a couple of weeks, 

 as the eggs may not be killed by the fumes, and we must de- 

 pend upon killing the larvae that hatch from them sub- 

 sequently. 



