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APPENDIX. 
RUSSIAN STRAW. 
In the foregoing report, at pp. 44, 45, in the paper on Hessian 
Fly, notes are given regarding the watch kept for several months 
during 1887 on imported straw at various seaports on the eastern coast 
of England and Scotland, with the result of only finding one puparium, 
or “ flaxseed,” which was attached to a straw grown in Belgium. 
Later on, that is during November and December, Mr. Edmund Riley, 
of the Weir, Hessle, near Hull, who had spent much time and pains 
on this investigation, had the opportunity of examining straw sent 
from various parts of Russia as packing material for the large amount 
of eggs then being imported. No Hessian Fly flaxseeds were found, 
and it will be noticed from the following details that from the method 
of treatment of the straw it is very unlikely that infestation can take 
place from this source, as the straw was found to be cut high, above 
where the flaxseed usually is ; also it was thoroughly bruised to render 
it soft for proper packing-material for the eggs ; and, further, a large 
proportion was dried on racks in heated chambers, as it is requisite for 
proper transmission of eggs from long distances that they should be 
packed in quite dry material. 
The knowledge of these points is of practical service, as it will be 
observed that the large import of eggs necessarily brings much straw 
with it. 
4 
On Nov. 12th (1887) Mr. Edmund Riley wrote me from Hessle, 
near Hull, that in the Report of Imports into Hull, for the week 
ending Nov. 5tli, it was stated that “ there was the largest importation 
of eggs in one week ever reported, and chiefly from Russian ports. 
One vessel had 60 tons; another 46 tons ; and the ‘ Cato ’ had 828 
cases, each case containing some thousands.” On examination Mr. Riley 
found the eggs “ came in long cases, a pretty thick layer of straw at 
the top and bottom and a layer of straw between each layer of eggs.” 
On the 21st of the same month Mr. Riley continued :—“ During 
the week I got several lots of straw from the top of the egg crates, but 
found they had all been cut off above the second joint. On Saturday 
I went to one of the large importers (Wood Brothers, High Street, 
Hull) and I found him, like Mr. Halls, ready to help me in any way, 
so I had a case from Riga, the eggs taken out, and brought all the 
straw home with me, and have spent the day examining it.” The 
results of this examination were one straw with a hole in it, one 
curiously deformed, and some that appeared to have had at some 
