A(JRI(ULTURAI. APPROPRIATION BII.U 1024. 299 



motli })roof fabrics hv pivin^ tlu'in a tn'rttiiU'Ht befon' thcv go out to 

 bo m»uio up into clotbin^, jukI wo havo spent a pood deaf oi time so 

 far tbis year in (l«»t«Mininin<; wbat pfToct tbrsr trratincntH bavr. 

 We bav(» ))(mmi (lnin<; it l)y taking nioncv from certain otbcr approj)ria- 

 tions. 



VVr linvo f«)ini(l tbat tbero arc sonir tivatnu»nts -one trPHlmoni 

 consists of a combination of abnnitnim salts and electricity, wbicti 

 seems to l)c verv <;ood: and another one which is h'ss promlsini: but 

 bcin<; advertised consi(h'rably by <-ertain hrms. 



So far we can not <'arry (»n this work satisfactorily. Wo oii^ht to 

 make 11 lliorou<.jh<;oi?i<; stiidy of all these tests -a thoronph biological 

 <liidy. and study of contnW meth(»ds. 



low TK.MrKKATlUE HTL'DIEH. 



I^)w temperature work Inis chiefly to do with the yalue of cold 

 storaf]:e protection of foodstufTs. The development of cold storage 

 has, of course, been phenomenal in the past few years, but the depart- 

 ment has not the information it ou<;ht to have to tell cold storage 

 firms or brokers or farmers who handle large stocks just how long 

 tliey woidd have to keep their commodities in cold storage before 

 they can issue tiiose stocks and guarantee them to be free from living 

 insects. 



Beans and peas are in cold storage now, and we are frecpiently 

 jisked how long to permit them to stay in cold storage at .30° before 

 we can guarantee the bean weevils to be killed. We have found that 

 inf(^rnnition now, but the last call was from the dried-fruit industry to 

 find out how long these "vSun Maid " raisins should stay in cold storage 

 at 32° before the insects in them are killed. Of course, it is an ex- 

 pensive treatnuMit — cold storage -and they would like to remove 

 them from cold stoarage as soon as they can. Now, practically, they 

 are held in cold storage throughout the summer, just to protect them 

 from the insects. 



Mr. Andkrson. How long does it ordinarily take ( 



Doctor Beck. Well, in connection with the insect for dried fruit, 

 we have not any idea, but judging from the work that has been done 

 with other insects, we think that at 32° the majority of the insects 

 ought to be dead in about three weeks. Other forms, which are much 

 more insistent, we have not information on. The big warehouse com- 

 psnies want information on the length c^f time they must keep the 

 <'lothing — furs --in cold storage at various temperatun^s l)ofnre the 

 moth is killed. 



We found, in connection with that, that full-grown clothes moth 

 will live-may remain alive — ^in cold storage one and a half years, 

 and come out in fairly thrifty condition. 



Mr. Buchanan. What temperature kills them ? 



Doctor Beck. That is what we are trying to find out. We kno^v 

 that many of them will die at temperatures averaging in the vicinity 

 of 40, but we have had a good many in cold storage here in Washington 

 for one and a half years at a temperature ranging from 20 to about ."jO 

 and down, but averaging about 36. It is a very interesting piece of 

 work, and the information will be very practical to all persons inter- 

 ested in the cold-storage ct)ncerns. 



