August, '15] 



HINDS: COTTON SEED FUMIGATION 



401 



little penetrative power in cotton seed. This material, on account of 

 its texture, is extremely resistant to gas diffusion. Carbon disulphide 

 vapor, however, penetrates quite readily through masses of cotton seed 

 and is retained by the seed sufficiently long to make it a very effective 

 protection against the transmission of living boll weevils in seed ship- 

 ments. 



The problem of application of the liquid to the seed was partially 

 worked out and the method described in Farmers Bulletin 209 pub- 

 lished in 1904. The method therein outhned involved practical 

 difficulties in apphcation on a large scale as the rapid evaporation of 

 the Hquid lowered the temperature to below the freezing point, thus 

 freezing water that might be contained in the liquid disulphide and 

 clogging the pipes. 



The method herein described has been worked out in Alabama and 

 used quite extensively in the treatment of cotton seed grown for plant- 

 ing purposes. With this method it has been found possible to treat 

 600 or more sacks per day with four men to do the work. Two men 

 handle the application of the liquid, the method followed being shown 

 quite clearly in the illustration. The other two men mark the sacks 

 and pack them away after the treatment is given. Our method of 

 deaUng with seed for planting is to mark each treated sack with the 

 initials of the man in charge of the fumigation work, the date of the 

 treatment and serial number of the sack; e.g., A. B., l-20-'15. No. 1, 

 et seq. When shipping out fumigated seed, the grower could indicate 

 upon the certificate accompanying the way-bill for the shipment, the 

 numbers of the sacks included and this would constitute a positive 

 identification and guard against the shipment of untreated seed. This 

 method protects both the grower and buyer of the see4. 



The apparatus consists essentially of a 3" air pump by which the 

 liquid and vapor can be forced quickly into and through the seed. 

 This is connected by pressure tubing with one branch of an ordinary 

 J" Y such as is used in spraying work. On this branch there is a cut- 

 off, also a regular sprajdng accessory. The other branch of the Y has 

 a similar cut-off and bears at its outer end a quarter turn with a metal 

 cup at the top just large enough to hold, or so marked as to indicate 

 accurately, the amount of liquid required for each sack. The Y is 

 connected with a piece of f galvanized gas pipe about ft. long, 

 closed at the distal end with a metal plug sharpened to a point so that 

 it will penetrate readily through the bagging and seed. For a distance 

 of 18 inches back from this end the tubing is perforated in various 

 cKrections and at distances of a few inches apart with a number of 

 small openings through which the liquid and vapor are distributed so 

 that it may diffuse through the sack in all directions. This type of 



