1899] MEDITERRANEAN MILT. MOTH, 87 



applied to floors of bins, and wherever it could be run, as near boiling 

 point as possible, and into all chinks and crannies, which are favourite 

 resorts of the caterpillars ; and also thorough lime-washing the walls 

 at frequent intervals with some insect deterrent, such as naphthaline or 

 paraffin, mixed in the wash, is an important point of treatment where 

 the application could not come in contact with the flour. 



For mill use, however, some very much more siringent remedies 

 are needed, and at present nothimj is before the j^'ublic which answers 

 thoroughly, or to which there is not some objection by reason of its 

 ill-effect, without enormous care, on flour, machinery, or operators. 

 Still, some amount of good has resulted, and I give as shortly as I can 

 the method of application of some remedial measures which have been 

 partially successful. 



The first experiment tried (subsequently followed up on an enlarged 

 scale in Canada) was in 1888 in steam mills in the north of England. 

 Here I suggested the possibility of getting the infestation under by 

 hirning on hot steam from the engine, a plan which I knew had been 

 perfectly successful in clearing a cheese factory of maggots which had 

 spread into chinks and crannies to a very troublesome extent. My 

 correspondent, acting on the suggestion, " stopped the mills for a week, 

 and had all the machines cleaned through, and then ivent over them 

 and the walls with steam, and then whitewashed the walls and underneath 

 all floors with fresh-slaked lime and paraffin." He noted that the way 

 he applied the steam was by carrying about forty yards of half-inch 

 piping into the mill from the boilers, and attaching an indiarubber 

 bore to it for the men to work about on the walls, floors, spouts, and 

 machines, blowing the steam into all the crevices and holes. "After 

 blowing the steam, which took two or three days, I set," he reported, 

 ** the men to work to wash the walls (and everywhere that they could 

 without fear of affecting the flour) with paraffin ; inside the machines 

 I had washed with a strong solution of boiling water and soda. I 

 find that strong soda and water is effectual in destroying the 

 maggots when it can be got on them. I still continue washing and 

 syringing all likely places for them to settle with paraffin, and keep 

 a lad or two going about brushing up and killing all the moths they 

 can see." 



The result of the above was reported to be, though not a positive 

 clearance of the pest, yet there were comparatively few moths about, 

 and he hoped that their continual exertions would prove successful. 



This steaming rusted the shafting, &c., but this was said to be 

 quite a secondary matter, as it could soon be cleaned again ; and 

 further, where flour in sacks, &c., is so placed as to be exposed to 

 action of the steam, it is as matter of course damped. But where this 

 trouble is provided against, the steaming treatment appears (though 



