180 JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY [Vol. 14 



guano and it is found to be fouled, it becomes necessary to devise such a 

 procedure as will reduce to a minimum the possibility of any cotton 

 seeds passing into the United States when the load itself is permitted to 

 enter. In the case of ore it is thinly spread, saturated with oil, and 

 burned over; bones are sprayed with oil; while guano, if fine enough, 

 may be screened. 



That the inspection of cars might be carried to a successful termina- 

 tion, it has been found expedient that there be a certain amount of paper 

 work connected with its execution. To fill this need a car record card 

 has been adopted which shows on the face of it where the car came 

 from, its ultimate destination, whether it is inspected or not, its condi- 

 tion at the time of inspection, and if the car has entered the United 

 States. Under the conditions which the work operates this information 

 is indispensible and, having the same, the inspectors are assured of 

 keeping a tight rein on the movement of cars out of Mexico. 



Before the subject of car inspection is left it might be well to mention 

 that no less than a third of all cars inspected are found to contain cotton 

 seed and that in nimierous cases live Pink Boll Worms have been found 

 in seed taken from such cars. The latter statement is particularly 

 applicable to the ports of Laredo, and Eagle Pass, Texas. This in a 

 word comprises the work done in Mexico. 



From the very outset the Board required the fumigation of certain 

 cars. At first pot fimiigation was practiced and two ounces of sodium 

 cyanide per hundred cubic feet of space were used, but later the dosage 

 was reduced to one and one-quarter ounces when the cars were fumi- 

 gated in the fumigation houses which the Board put into operation 

 October 1, 1919. The erection of these houses was largely due to the 

 untiring efforts and enthusiasm of Professor R. Kent Beattie who drew 

 up in their entirety the plans for the houses. These buildings which 

 were made of brick were so constructed and their doors fitted with such 

 an exact nicety, that one car or a number of cars could be placed therein 

 and the compartment containing the same would be practically air- 

 tight. 



On one side of the house is an auxiliary room where the gas is manu- 

 factured. The machinery used in the generation of this gas is simple 

 in design. For the sake of clarity it may be described as consisting of 

 three tiers of tanks ; the first of which is composed of an acid drum and 

 two large tanks for stock solutions of sodium cyanide; the second is 

 comprised of measuring tanks for the cyanide solution, acid, and 

 water that they may be introduced into the generators in the proper 

 proportions ; and the third tier consists of the generators proper in which 

 the gas is generated and from which the gas goes to the various chambers 



