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Show ISILWISUPE8I I TO THE HOUSEHOLD HB Housewives who are annoyed by UK damage done by insects to their MB books, papers, clothing, and other ar-III ar-III tides containing starch are advised Hll; bv the department to spread a pois-!&' pois-!&' oned paste upon bits of cardboard -and Hit tuck these Into crevices in bppk-JMk bppk-JMk Eholves, back of mantels, under wash-wn wash-wn boards, and in the bottom of bureau UBn and bookcase drawers. A thin boiled Hft tarch paste should be propared by Hfe' "j Pf At adding to the flour 3 to 5 per cent powdered white arsenic (poison) and then using sufficient water to boil into a thin paste. This should he spread upon cardhoard and allowed to dry. Tho preparation, however, is poisonous to human beings as wcllafl to insects and it must bo used with tho utmost care. The insect which docs the damage is known by a number of popular names, such as silverflsh, silver louse, silver witch, sugar-fish, etc. It owes theso names to its peculiar fishllko form and its scdly glistening body. As long ago as 1CG5 It was described as "a very small silvery shining worm or moth which I found much conver-snnt conver-snnt among "books and papers." It is about one-third of an inch In length, tapering from near the head to the extremity of the body, and somewhat resembles a worm in appearance Its entire body is covered, with very minute min-ute scales, which glvo it its shiny appearance, ap-pearance, and its' six legs enable It to run about with great rapidity The silverflsh is ono of the most serious pests known to libraries, for It is particulnrlv fond of the paste used in the binding of books. Heavily glazed paper is also attractive to It. Starched clothing, linen, or curtains may bo seriously damaged if left undisturbed un-disturbed for any considerable period of time, and the insect also feeds upon up-on the starch paste applied to wall paper. By eating this, it causes the wall paper to scale off. Occasionally It gelB into vegetable drugs or similar simi-lar material which is left undisturbed for long neriods, and it Is an open question whether or not it ever attacks at-tacks carpets and plus-covered furni- ture A somewhat similar Insect Is commonly called in England a "flre-brat" "flre-brat" because of Us fondness for ovens ov-ens and fireplaces, where the heat would destroy other Insects. Among tho remedies for this household house-hold pest in addition to the poisoned paste Is pyrctnruni. Wherever this can bo applied, as on booksholves, It furnishes one of tho bcBt means for getting rid of tho Insect. Sodium flu-orld, flu-orld, which lb now recognized as one of tho most efficient roach powders, will probably also be equally effective effec-tive against the Bllverflsh. It may be dusted by hand or applied with a powder blower wherever tho silver-fish silver-fish is likely to occur. Frequent handling and airing of starched clothing cloth-ing and similar objects will probably bo sufficient to prevent injury to theso unless they are stored away in damp houses. This insect is described, in dotall In a now Farmers' Bulletin of tho department, de-partment, No. 681, which may be had freo on application. .no |