﻿4 BULLETIN 15, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Table II. — Conditions of infestation or noninfestation of 10 packages of cereal left until 



Jan. 24, 1913. 



No. of 

 pack- 

 age. 



Not labeled. 



Label pasted. 



Label glued. 



9 









10 



do 







11 



do 







12 



do 







13 



do 







14 





No infestation 



do 





15 







16 









17 







Do. 



IS 







Do. 











The results of this experiment seem very conclusive. Figure 4 



shows the relative infestation 

 on the outside and inside of 

 the labeled and nonlabeled 

 packages. These packages 

 were all placed under the 

 same conditions and given 

 every chance to become 

 infested. 



The thorough infesta- 

 tion of nonlabeled pack- 

 ages and the absence of 

 infestation in the labeled 

 packages clearly indicate 

 the efficiency of the label in 

 preventing the insects from 

 entering the cartons. 



These experiments do not 

 prove that insects are in- 

 capable of boring into the 

 carton, thus infesting the 

 cereal, but they do prove 

 that when placed in regions 



of severe infestation the ordinary paper carton will become infested 



while the sealed carton will not. 



WHERE INFESTATION TAKES PLACE. 



In the process of sterilization the cereal is heated to a sufficiently 

 high temperature to cause the death of all insect life, but following 

 this process there are several ways in which it may become infested. 



While on an elevator (see fig. 5) the cereal may be infested by eggs, 

 larvae, or adults of the several insects dropping or crawling into it. 

 Warehouses are usually more or less infested by insects which crawl 

 around on the packages. The grocer's storeroom and shelves are also 



Fig. 4. — Results of experiments with cartons. The one on 

 the left shows severe infestation; the one on the right had 

 a thin label pasted on the outside and is not infested. The 

 webs and adults of the infesting insects are shown on the 

 outside of both cartons. (Original.) 



