1899] MEDITEBRANEAN MILL MOTH. 79 



sacks, they are never emptied till the Wheat is being put on the mill. 

 I understand that many of the mills in England and two or three in 

 Scotland have adopted a plan of washing all their Wheat first, and 

 then subjecting it to a high temperature (safe) before it goes on to the 

 cleaning machinery ; but I have not yet learned if this has been a 

 preventive of the moth pest. It was not put in with that intention, 

 but as a means of obtaining better results in the manufacture of flour. 



" I have great fears of handling poisons through inexperienced 

 men, and warm flours — Semolinas and offals — are so powerful in 

 absorbing odours near them — even in the outside court the smell of 

 asphalt has been taken in by flour three flats up in store. You 

 will notice that our case is the dealing with the products of Wheat in 

 its difl"erent stages of Wheat-meal, flour, and cattle feeds, not Wheat ; 

 we have no trouble there, though if we could kill in the Wheat what 

 afterwards troubles us in the ground meal and flour stages it would 

 be well." 



The following communication turns chiefly on the great loss (even 

 to the extent of necessitating "tons of the spun flour" being burnt) 

 which ensues on this moth attack being allowed to gain possession. 

 The observations relatively to bisulphide of carbon refer to my mention 

 that fumigation by this means was the especial remedial agent recom- 

 mended by the Department of Agriculture of the United States ; but 

 at the same time I most forcibly requested my correspondents would 

 note the risks attending the application — namely, the excessive in- 

 flammability of the vapour, not only in case of presence of light, but 

 also (as I have myself seen take place) of ignition occurring merely 

 from raised temperature; aod likewise the very possibly prejudicial 

 e£fect of the vapour of the bisulphide to the health of those who might 

 be exposed to it, unless due care in subsequent ventilation was ex- 

 ercised. The communication was sent me on Dec. 5th, 1899 : — 



" We are flour millers, with a modern roller mill, which works 

 automatically, that is, the Wheat is put in at one end of the mill, and, 

 although in process of manufacture it is turned into dozens of difierent 

 qualities of material, each is conveyed from one machine to another 

 by spouts, elevators, screw conveyers, &c., and is not handled till each 

 finished quality arrives at its packer. 



" Lately we have had several lots of flour returned to us, our 

 customers complaining that the flour was full of maggots, which, on 

 examination, we found was the fact. 



" We then had a thorough examination of our mill, and found 

 everyone of the spouts, conveyers, elevators, and machines simply 

 alive and grown up with maggots and moths, samples of which we 

 send you under separate cover. 



" We should like your opinion as to the origin of these maggots 



