72 FARM SPIES 



the corn that is in our cribs? After that we can 

 talk about the things we should do next season to 

 prevent the thieves riddling our corn on the stalks 

 before it is put in the cribs." 



"Yes," the entomologist said, "there is something 

 you can do ; go home and make your cribs just as 

 tight as it is possible to make them. In brick cribs, 

 or in wooden cribs that have been made very tight 

 by the use of heavy tarred paper between two layers 

 of sheathed boarding for the walls and ceilings, use 

 about seven pounds of carbon bisulphide for every 

 one thousand cubic feet of space. In cribs not so 

 tight a much larger amount may be necessary. 



"Carbon bisulphide is a liquid which looks like 

 water and has a foul smell. When the liquid is 

 exposed to the air it changes to gas very rapidly. 

 This gas is heavier than air and sinks in the crib - 

 it does not rise like most gases you know. It goes 

 down, sideways, and eventually upwards. To 

 fumigate with this gas, level off the surface of the 

 corn in the crib and make holes by pulling out some 

 ears. The holes should be about three feet apart 

 each way and from one to one and one half feet 

 deep. The liquid is then poured into the holes, 

 using about an equal amount for each hole. The 

 corn is then thrown back into the holes to help hold 

 the gas, and the crib closed tight. Fire must be 

 kept away from the liquid, and if any is left after 



