400 



JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 



\yo\. 8 



The use of an insect-proof package is a very important considera- 

 tion in the connection with the shipment of all dried fruits, especially 

 when packed in small cartons for retailing. A clean pack often be- 

 comes infested in the warehouse of the commission merchant or after 

 it has reached the wholesale or the retail grocer, but no matter how it 

 became infested, it reflects as much discredit upon the packer as if 

 it had become infested before it left the packing house. Some recent 

 experiments conducted by the U. S. Department of Agriculture and 

 pubhshed in Bulletin No. 235, June 24, 1915, show that an insect- 

 proof carton is both possible and inexpensive and has other important 

 advantages besides those already stated. 



Infested storehouses, warehouses, grocery stores, bakeries, etc., 

 may be rid of the beetles by a thorough fumigation with hydrocyanic 

 acid gas at the rate of 3 ounces of sodium cj^anide, and the proper 

 proportions of sulphuric acid and water, to every 100 cubic feet of 

 air space, or better if the place is fitted with a good steam-heating 

 apparatus, the insects may be destroyed by maintaining a temperature 

 of 125 degrees Fahrenheit for a period of several hours. Carbon 

 bisulfid may also be used as a fumigant at the rate of one half pound 

 to every 100 cubic feet of air space, but as it is highly inflammable 

 and explosive when mixed with air it is very dangerous. 



Cleanliness about the pitting, drying and packing sheds is very 

 important in reducing the numbers of beetles which are likely to infest 

 the fruit and the storage bins and warehouse should be thoroughl}^ 

 renovated before storing the new crop. Fruit from the previous year 

 should be carefully inspected and removed, treated or destroyed if 

 found infested. 



Department of Entomology, 

 University of California, 

 Berkeley, California, 

 July 15, 1915. 



FUMIGATION METHOD FOR SACKED COTTON SEED 



By W. E. Hinds, Entomologist, Auburn, Ala. 



In connection with the administration of the boll weevil quarantine, 

 it has frequently been necessary to fumigate considerable quantities 

 of cotton seed originating in boll weevil infested territory to make it 

 safe to allow shipments of such seed to points outside of the infested 

 area. In the course of the boll weevil investigations more than ten 

 years ago, it was found that carbon disulphide was the most practicable 

 material for such fumigation work. Hydrocyanic acid gas has very 



