182 EXPERIMENTAL FARMS 
2-3 EDWARD VII., A. 1903 
must be taken to close up the top tightly. This is best done with a cap made specially 
for the purpose, but may also be done with fine sacks laid smoothly on the top, over 
which boards are laid, with a considerable weight on them to hold the covering down 
closel 
Pariigedion with bi-sulphide of carbon, I believe, is the remedy most to be relied on 
in this campaign. It is perfectly effective, is now regularly used by the large seed 
merchants, and in future will be much more regularly used. The liquid is cheap, in large 
quantities costing about 15 cents a.pound, although small quantities are charged for at 
a higher rate, owing to its inflammable nature and nauseous odour, which make it an 
undesirable stock for druggists to keep on hand. The treatment is easy so that no 
mistakes need be made, and, with ordinary care, accidents are not likely to occur. As 
a matter of fact, I have never heard of an accident from the use of this chemical. 
Bins for fumigating with bi-sulphide of carbon should be rendered as nearly air 
tight as possible. This may be done in the case of an ordinary bin by pasting sheets of 
paper over the inside, and, in case these should be liable to be torn, over the outside as 
well. Where the lid fits down it should be padded with felt. 
Holding over Seed.—Where only a few seed peas are used, a most reliable remedy 
is the holding over of seed until the second year. Peas should always be bagged up 
and the sacks tied at once after threshing. The weevils are not able to eat their way 
through the bags, even when these are made of paper. All the weevils which emerge 
either in autumn or the following summer will perish inside the bags, and the seed can 
be sown the following year without danger. The very rare instances which I have 
heard of, but which I have never seen, where weevils remain alive in the peas and 
emerge during the second summer after the peas ripened, must be of such rare and 
exceptional occurrence that they need not be considered. However, to make assurance 
doubly sure, the seed grain may be kept in a warm room or house during the first 
winter when there is hardly a possibility of the beetles not emerging. 
Treating with Coal Oul.—A remedy which has been used by many farmers with 
satisfaction, is to drench the seed with coal oil using about half a gallon to a barrel or 
five bushels of peas. Half of this quantity however can be used successfully as I have 
been informed by Mr. W. M. Real of Greenbank, Ont., who writes as follows: For 
several years I used coal oil on part of my seed with good results. An ordinary bin or 
a large box will do for, say 50 bushels or less ; for every 20 bushels pour over them one 
gallon of coal oil, spreading it so that it does not run to waste. This should be done 
about two weeks before sowing. Immediately after putting on the oil, the peas should 
be shovelled over and over so that all will be oiled, and the shovelling must be repeated 
every day for four or five days. This, if properly done, will kill all the bugs in the 
peas without injuring the seed. This plan, however, is no good when you compare it 
with the fumigation mentioned on p. 210 in the report you sent me which is so much 
easier done. ‘The remaining part of my seed has been fumigated, only I do not use 
barrels because we have two bug-houses near here, and we can kill all the bugs in 400 
bushels at once without emptying them out of the bags. This too is far safer than using 
bi-sulphide around farm buildings.’ 
Mr. Wm. Ross, M.P., of Port Perry, who has taken much interest in this matter 
of controlling the Pea Weevil tells me that he knows of many in his district who use the © 
above coal oil method with great success. ° 
In my own experiments I found that peas treated with coal oil, if not planted 
soon afterwards, were slow in germinating. This, however, only points out the advant- 
age of oiling peas just before sowing, and this method has a special use as an emergency 
remedy when, as is frequently the case seed peas are found after purchase to contain 
living weevils. 
Scalding Seed.—Of the same nature, when peas are found at the time of sowing 
to contain weevils, is scalding the seed. This may be done by pouring them into 
scalding water and then either pouring the water straight off them again or cooling off 
immediately with cold water. 
