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Show WORMINESS OF NUTS MAY BE PREVENTED Entomologists of Department of Agriculture Recommend Three Good Methods. (Prepared by the United States Department Depart-ment of Agriculture.) In order that growers and shippers of chestnuts may guard their product against worminess, entomologists of the United States department of agriculture ag-riculture recommend that as soon as the nuts are gathered they be fumigated fumi-gated with carbon bisulphide, treated with hot water, or subjected to dry heat in a kiln. If the carbon bisulphide method be employed, the nuts should then be exposed to the air in order that all traces of the chemical shall be removed. The three measures recommended rec-ommended destroy minute eggs and young grubs, unobjectionable, ori the i'hole, but which may later develop into in-to worms and ruin the nuts. In any tnse, however, nuts should be carefully careful-ly examined and defective nuts sorted out as completely as possible. Such treatment is especially important im-portant to those who ship chestnuts la Interstate commerce, as such shipments, ship-ments, if wormy, fall foul of the Food and Drugs Act, which defines a food product to be adulterated if it consists con-sists In whole or in part of a filthy, decomposed, or putrid animal or vegetable vege-table substance. In past seasons several sev-eral consignments of moldy and wormy chestnuts have been seized on recommendation of the department of agriculture. Shippers would do well, therefore, to employ the measures recommended rec-ommended by the entomologists, because be-cause the eggs and minute grubs, unless un-less destroyed before shipment, may develop in transit and thus ruin nuts apparently in sound condition when shipped. Fumigating Chestnuts. Chestnuts can be prevented from becoming be-coming wormy without detracting in the least from their eating or keeping qualities by fumigating them with carbon car-bon bisulphide, which can be obtained at most drug stores. The nuts are I placed in a tight box or barrel and ! bisulphide of carbon at the rate of one ' ounce, liquid measure, to a bushel of chestnuts is poured into a saucer rest- j Ing on top of the nuts. The heavy i fumes of the chemical sink through i the nuts nnd destroy the minute grubs i as well as larger worms. After fu- inigatiou f;-om 12 to 21 hours, the nuts j are exposed to the open air, when the very unpleasant odor of the gas quickly quick-ly passes off. Carbon bisulphide, however, how-ever, is highly inflammable and should not be used anywhere near fire. Even a cigar spark will set it off. Fumigation should never be performed per-formed in a tightly-closed room in a dwelling, as the nauseating fumes under un-der such conditions might make the operator ill, and if breathed in any great quantity, might prove poisonous. In using carbon bisulphide under any conditions, care should be taken to breathe as little of the fumes as possible. pos-sible. When the nuts have been thoroughly thor-oughly treated, the operator should dump them from the barrel and spread them out where there is free circulation circula-tion of air, instead of removing them by hand from the barrel. Where large quantities of chestnuts are handled, a battery of barrels can be set up in a shed, or where there is other protection from storms and wind. If fumigation is started in the late afternoon, the nuts should be effectively ef-fectively treated by morning. Users would do well to observe the effect on the worms and increase the amount of bisulphide if found necessary. Scalding and Drying. The larvae and eggs of chestnut weevils can be killed also by placing the nuts in a bag or sieve and submerging sub-merging them for a few minutes in boiling water. Another way is to put the nuts in a tub and pour boiling water wa-ter over them to cover them an inch or two. If the chestnuts in the tub are stirred, many wormy nuts will come to the surface and can be removed. re-moved. If water is used, however, the nuts must be dried thoroughly before they are stored or shipped. Dry Heat. According to Dr. F. H. Chittenden of the bureau of entomology, chestnuts can be submitted to a temperature of from 125 degrees to 150 degrees Fahrenheit Fah-renheit for a sufficient time to destroy the insects without injuring the food or seed value. Where large ovens or kilns are available, this method should be found convenient and economical. Care should be exercised, however, not to allow the temperature to rise much above 150 degrees. Nuts treated by any of these methods meth-ods will remain sound and edible for a much longer time than untreated stock. I'ersons especially interested in the treatment of wormy chestnuts would do well to write to the Bureau of Entomology, En-tomology, IT. S. Department of Agriculture, Agri-culture, Washington, D. C. fur further details if needed. |