New York Agricultural Experiment Station. 385 



tion of the " chop feeds " found in the market, than was the 

 case when the Station first began to collect samples of this class 

 of goods. The genuineness of these mixtures is seen in part in 

 the low proportion of fiber which ranges between 3 per ct. and 

 7 per ct., and in part in their general appearance. The presence 

 of ground oat hulls is made evident by a characteristic mechan- 

 ical condition and negatively by the absence of the crushed oat 

 grains. It would not be ditficult for farmers to so educate their 

 eyes as to easily detect inferior oat hull mixtures. 



It is claimed, probably for good reason, that much of the corn 

 meal sold in the State is mixed with hominy feed. While such 

 a mixture is little, if any, inferior in feeding value to pure corn 

 meal, the purchaser generally sustains financial injury, because 

 if he wishes for hominy feed he can usually purchase it at a less 

 price than that paid for the fraudulent corn meal. These corn 

 meal and hominy mixtures are lighter in color than pure, yellow 

 corn meal. Proof that this lighter color is not caused by grind- 

 ing in white corn is difficult, because chemically and microsopi- 

 cally hominy feed is very similar to the maize grain of which it 

 was once a part. 



It is fair to conclude, also, t>hat the by-products from the manu- 

 facture of starch are used to mix with corn meal whenever they 

 cost less than the latter. This fact was made evident at a pub- 

 lic hearing before a committee of the New York legislature at 

 the time legislation concerning the sale of feeding stufl's was 

 pending. Very recently a jobber in feeding stuffs located in New 

 Y'ork has issued a circular to millers advising them how they can 

 *' make corn meal " " in order to meet competition " by mixing 

 corn bran with corn meal in the proportion of one to five. 



Without discussing here the question of the relative value of 

 corn meal and the mixture, this practice, when not clearly under- 

 stood, is a dishonest imposition upon the consumer, because if 

 he wishes for corn bran in his ration he can buy it for less money 

 than he can corn meal. Moreover, any miller who fraudulently 

 descends to such unworthy means of sustaining his trade be- 

 comes legally liable to a fine. 

 25 



