196 



FUXGI AXD PUXGICIDES 



^^The seed which is to be treated must be placed, a 

 half bushel or more at a time, in a closed yesseL that 

 will allow free entrance and exit of water on all sides. 

 For this purpose a bushel basket made of heavy wire 

 could be used, with which spread wire netting, sav 

 twelve meshes to the inch, or an iron frame could be 

 made at a trifling cost, over which the wire netting could 

 be stretched. This would allow the water to pass freely, 

 and yet prevent the j)assage of the seed. A sack made 

 of loosely woven material (as gunny sack) could, perhaps, 

 be used instead of the wire basket. A perforated tin 

 vessel is, in some respects, preferable to any of the above. 



**Xow dip the basket of seed in the first vessel; 

 after a moment lift it; and, when the water has for the 

 most part escaped, plunge it into the water again, repeat- 

 ing the operation several times. The object of the lift- 

 ing and plunging, to which should be added also a rotary 

 motion, is to bring every grain in contact with the hot 

 water. Less than a minute is required for this prepara- 

 tory treatment, after which plunge the basket of seed 

 into the second vessel. If the thermometer indicates 

 that the temperature of the water is falling, pour in hot 

 water until it is elevated to 132^°. If it should rise 

 higher than 135°, add small quantities of cold water. 

 This will doubtless be the most simple method of keep- 

 ing the proper temperature, and requires only the addi- 

 tion of two small vessels, one for cold and one for boil- 

 ing water. 



Steam, conducted into the second vessel by a pi23e 

 provided with a stopcock, answers even better, both for 

 heating the w\ater and elevating the temperature from 

 time to time. 



^'The basket of seed should, very shortly after its 

 immersion, be lifted, and then plunged and agitated in 

 the manner described above ; and the operation should 

 be repeated eight or ten times dairing the immersion^ 



