9 
FLOUR MOTH. 
51 
These caterpillars turn to chrysalids in silken cocoons spun in the 
Flour in which they fed, and from this stage the moths are stated to come 
out in three weeks, but I had not the opportunity of noting this myself; 
one great reason for the almost overwhelming amount of injury rapidly 
caused by this attack is that it is the nature of the caterpillars whilst 
feeding in the infested flour to spin it up into such complete clots that 
the lumps may be lifted up as if felted together, and thus in stores 
they do great harm by working in the outer part of the Flour to which 
they have penetrated through the sacks; but where they once get 
established in Flour-mills, the loss by reason of stoppages of machinery, 
and their presence in every nook and cranny where Flour may have 
been blown, is a matter which in a very few weeks may be counted by 
hundreds of pounds of expense. 
On application for advice being made to me by the owner of the 
steam mills in this country where one of the first serious attacks of 
this devastating pest occurred, the best suggestion which I could make 
to meet this new difficulty was turning on hot steam sent by pipes from 
the engines into every accessible spot, and this and fumigating by 
burning sulphur to destroy the moths, and some other more general 
measures, have done much good—first, to clear out attack, and secondly 
to prevent its recurrence to a serious extent, and to prevent spread of 
infestation. Also I did my best to caution those concerned on the 
immense importance of baking their sacks, or otherwise making sure 
that in the transit of these to bakers’ establishments, or other possibly 
infested places, that they should not bring infestation home with them 
on their return. 
But in this my work was most difficult, because my advice was 
asked in business confidence; consequently I had no right to make the 
locality of infestation publicly known, or warn the surrounding district, 
though, by taking this as part of what might be generally in danger, 
I did what I could to save it. Now, however, the outbreak of this 
Flour Moth in Canada allows me to bring the importance of the matter 
and the stringent nature of the remedies required more markedly 
forward, and, as I was honoured by being called into consultation on 
the subject by the Department of Agriculture of Ontario and the 
Dominion Entomologist, and likewise had communication with the 
steam millers whose premises were infested, I have thought it well for 
public service here to give the following useful information lately 
placed in my hands, in addition to that previously given by myself in 
my 12tli Report. 
This, it will be seen, includes observations of the first appearance 
of the Moth in Canada, the rapid development of the mischief, the 
immediate attention paid to it by the Government and their eminently 
qualified advisers, the measures first used, and, on these being in- 
e 2 
