56 
FLOUR MILLS AND STORES. 
the great serviceableness of turning on hot steam as a means of 
clearing out maggots from factories) that by means of hose attached to 
the engines currents of hot steam should be directed to every part that 
could be reached. This was on the first appearance of the attack as a 
mill-pest here. 
This plan was carefully carried out; the mill was stopped working 
for a week, and after blowing the steam, which took two or three days, 
the men were set to wash the walls (where it could be done without 
risk of affecting the taste of the flour) with paraffin, and the insides of 
the machines were washed with a strong solution of soda and water. 
This solution was mentioned as being very effectual in destroying 
such of the maggots as it reached. These costly and troublesome 
measures did much good temporarily, but were by no means a per¬ 
manent cure. 
On the first observation of this very serious infestation in Canada, 
attempts were made to clear the mills by stopping work again and 
again, and cleaning down as carefully as possible, but totally without 
any benefit. It is especially mentioned that they took the clothing 
from the bolting-reels and cleaned it, and washed the inside thoroughly 
with soft lye-soap and lime, and did the same with the elevators. 
“ When we started up again every corner and part of the mill had 
been thoroughly cleaned as we supposed, and we commenced to work 
again ; but after about four days we found our bolting-reels, elevators, 
&c., worse than before. This went on till the case was considered 
hopeless, without more stringent measures, and the machinery was 
taken down and subjected to thorough steaming. Also the mill was 
swept down and subjected to sulpliur-fumes. The walls, ceilings, &c., 
were cleaned, and elevator-spouts and loose wooden work burnt up. 
Paper bags and hundreds of dollars’ worth of goods were burnt in the 
furnace ; while the other bags, elevator-belts and cups were boiled for 
hours in a cauldron of water. The machines and parts that were not 
destroyed were then burnt by means of a kerosene torch, which 
flamed and smoked through and around every part of them, until 
we considered we had everything clean and ready for putting together 
again.” 
These arrangements, however, were not considered sufficiently 
stringent to meet the great emergency, and under an order in Council, 
approved by His Honour the Lieutenant-Governor, further measures to 
allow of more powerful application of steam pressure for purification of 
the machinery were carried out as follows :— 
“ We at once constructed a tight steam-box, 6 ft. wide, 6 ft. high, 
and 12 ft. long, and attached a steam-pipe to it from the boiler. In 
this box we put every machine, and even our mill-stones and iron 
rollers. This process was very expensive, and took considerable time, 
