58 
FLOUR MILLS AND STORES. 
building, and burnt about 28 lbs. of sulphur. This quantity we found 
did not have very much effect, and we from time to time increased the 
amount, till at Whitsuntide, on the Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, 
we burnt in two fires about 500 lbs. of sulphur, and thus did good 
execution ; but yet some live ones were found on the Tuesday morning, 
when the man went round to sweep up the dead ones. We thought 
these must have hatched out the night before perhaps, and so not 
have had the benefit of the three days’ fumigating. 
“ But we found that the sulphuring has an effect which we did not 
anticipate or wish for. We had standing in the mill itself, when the 
fumigation was carried out, some 80 or 100 sacks of flour, and we find 
to our dismay that the sulphur has penetrated right into these, and 
acted on the gluten of the flour in such a manner as to apparently 
break it up into soluble albuminoids, and render the dough made from 
it more like a lot of weak putty than the ‘ strong’ tough dough our 
customers require. 
“ After noticing this change in the flour we tried exposing a small 
quantity to the fumes of burning sulphur in a small room, and found 
the result was the same. 
“ The effect would be very disastrous to millers who store their 
flour in the same building as they manufacture it in, as some do ; and 
in our case it has given a lot of trouble. I think you will be glad to 
know of this, that you may warn your correspondents against sulphuring 
any building containing large quantities of corn.” 
I most particularly beg to draw the attention of all troubled with 
this infestation to the importance of the above observation, and, 
having given this necessary caution, which I owe to the courtesy of a 
large steam-mill firm, I extract from the Canadian Government 
Report, before referred to, some of the methods advised for applying 
fumigation, aud also the strengths specified :— 
“ To destroy the moths. This can be done by closing the windows, 
doors, or other apertures of the building, and night after night, until 
all evidences of moths have disappeared ; burn sulphur by placing it in 
shallow pans upon a number of heated stoves, say small coal-oil stoves, 
in different parts of the building, and putting a match to it.” The 
note below describes another convenient method of creating sulphur 
dioxide fumes. 
Note .—“ To prepare sulphur fumes. Place a metallic dish con¬ 
taining hot ashes on some support in a pan of water, or place in an 
old pan or other vessel a bed of ashes at least 6 in. deep and about 
15 in. in diameter, and place the sulphur and saltpetre in a slight de¬ 
pression in the centre and ignite. ^ 
“ The proper proportions are 3 lbs. of sulphur and 3 ozs. of salt¬ 
petre per 1000 cubic feet of air space. All doors, windows, and other 
