Poor Seed 



97 



Table 13 {Continued) 



Treatment of Seed against Insect Injury. In 

 storage, the greatest enemies of the seed are weevils. 

 These feed on any part of the seed lobes or embryo, 

 thus impairing the germinating power. Weevils and 

 other seed-feeding insects may be destroyed by fumi- 

 gating the seed house, the bin, or the seed can, with 

 carbon bisulphide used at the rate of three pounds to 

 each thousand cubic feet of space. The carbon bisul- 

 phide is placed in a dish on top of the seed and allowed 

 to evaporate. The fumes, which are heavier than air, 

 fall to the bottom. The seed house or bin should be 

 made air-tight for twenty -four hours during fumiga- 

 tion, and all fires including lighted pipes should be 

 kept away for fear of an explosion. 



A new and safer fumigant, para-dichlorobenzene, 

 has recently been placed on the market. This is less 

 poisonous when inhaled than carbon bisulphide. For 

 each hundred cubic feet of space, twelve ounces of the 

 former are dissolved in water. The liquid is soaked 

 in rags which are placed in the air-tight seed house or 

 bins to be fumigated. 



