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to superintend this work of disinfection and destruction in accordance 
with the recommendations which I had made. The report which Mr. 
Chittenden has submitted justifies the conclusions just set forth and is 
as follows : 
A large iron tank, with a capacity of about 11 tons, was procured and provided 
with a shelf and a large tightly fitting door. A small building, known as the 
" Stock Exchange/' situated near the Agricultural Building, was next secured and 
fitted up as a workroom. In this the tank and other materials used in the disinfec- 
tion of the grain were stored. A large quantity of material was removed to this 
building and disinfected as rapidly as time would permit. 
It was seriously contemplated by those in authority to destroy all the grain in the 
Agricultural Building, whether foreign or domestic, infested or free from insects; in 
fact, Chief Buchanan was quoted in one of the Chicago daily papers as having 
expressed this intention. To prevent such a contingency and to decisively settle the 
matter to the satisfaction of all, it was considered best to remove all the infested 
material from the foreign exhibits of this and other buildings. As soon as all nec- 
essary arrangements were perfected and the requisite permissions from commission 
ers, custom-house officers, and others were obtained for the removal of infested 
exhibits, the work was begun and rapidly pushed to its completion. 
It was impossible to use bisulphide of carbon, benzine, naphtha, or other insecti- 
cides of this nature in the buildings, the insurance policies held by the Exposition 
prohibiting the use of inflammable substances, and it was therefore necessary to 
remove material to be disinfected from the buildings. 
Experience having shown that Indian corn and, after that, wheat are preferred 
above all other food by grain insects, it was deemed a wise move to destroy not only 
all infested corn and wheat, but also such few samples as showed no outward signs 
of infestation, but that might contain the pests, either in the larval or egg state, con- 
cealed in the kernels. 
The bulk of the corn exhibited by all except the colder countries was more or less 
badly infested, and the wheat as well. The entire corn and wheat exhibits of many 
of the tropical countries, the good with the bad, were therefore confiscated wherever 
it was possible to obtain possession of them. 
As an example of the work done, a few words in regard to the disposition of some 
of the cereal exhibits might be interesting. 
The first exhibit visited was that of Mexico, in the Agricultural Building, previous 
inspection having shown that it contained more dangerous species than any other. 
The grain exhibit of this country, which was one of the largest on the grounds, was 
displayed in half a dozen large show cases distributed throughout the section, and 
a large quantity of samples that had not been unpacked, owing to lack of space, 
were stored in boxes in a small anteroom. Through the courtesy of the commissioner 
in charge, Mr. Romulo Escobar, the entire exhibit was abandoned for such disposal 
as should be deemed fit. First, all of the exposed samples were removed, whether 
infested or not, and after that the boxes of samples in the storeroom were unpacked 
and nearly all, including the boxes themselves, taken to the crematory and burned. 
Of the remaining samples, such as were stored in bags and not injured past redemp- 
tion were placed in the disinfecting tank and treated with bisulphide of carbon. 
In all, several tons of material, including upwards of a thousand samples of grain, 
flour, meal, beans, etc., were removed from this exhibit, requiring the services of 
six men with three carts. 
In the Guatemala Building many of the same injurious species were found, con- 
spicuous among which were the Ptinid (Dinoderus sp.), the little bean weevil (Sper- 
mopliagus sp.), and the- Mycetophagid (Litargus sp.). A large quantity of infested 
material was removed from the exhibited samples, and in an attic storeroom so 
large a number of damaged samples, consisting chiefly of grain, beans, and other 
edible products, were found that a truck was necessary for their removal. 
