N,). G. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 75 



a nunibei' ol: stores had been brouglil; into eourt in various counties 

 of the Commonwealth, the lard manufacturers, as well as the job- 

 bers and retailers became thoroughly convinced that the law could 

 no longer be safely disregarded, and the theory that pure lard 

 could not be placed upon the market in salable condition during 

 the hot summer months was abandoned. One marked result of these 

 compound lard prosecutions is the fact that the same party is seldom 

 found violating this law a second time after arrest and conviction. 

 The tendency to substitute compound lard for pure lard on the part 

 of provision dealers and others was far too common, and it was only 

 after heroic treatment of the question that the imposition was 

 checked, if not practically abolished. 



SWINE IN PENNSYLVANIA. 



Pennsylvania, with its vast agricultural interests, is entitled to 

 protection against the illegal sale of "compound lard," and the co- 

 operation of ail concerned is heartily solicited. I shall be glad to 

 learn of any violations, and where proof is available, prosecutions 

 will follov/. 



The Census report of 1900 shows that on the 224,248 farms in 

 Pennsylvania, no less than 1,107,981 head of SAvine were kept or 

 raised in that year. It also appears that nearly every farmer had 

 a surplus quantity of lard for sale, thus proving the importance of 

 securing a proper observance of the iard laws of the Commonwealth. 

 Compound lard can be produced at much less expense than the 

 genuine article, and when sold as pure lard at a reduced price 

 tends to produce a like reduction in the price of the genuine pro- 

 duct. The same report shows that there was a decrease in the 

 number of swine raised in Pennsylvania since 1890 of 13..3 per cent., 

 which was probably due to the introduction and increased sale of 

 "compound lard." 



The love of money, with its kindred tendencies as usual, is respon- 

 sible for these violations of the law, and the worst feature is the 

 undeniable fact that the poorer classes, many of whom have large 

 families to support, are the greatest losers from this fraudulent 

 practice. 



ANALYTICAL WORK. 



The analytical work required has been very extensive, and, com- 

 paratively speaking, considerably in excess of any similar period 

 in the history of this Division. Results attained were commen- 

 surate with the expenses incurred, and many of the existing evils 

 were speedily corrected when the manufacturers and dealers real- 

 ized that all food products must be labeled true to name, and that 

 no fraud of any nature, if discovered, w^ould be tolerated. 



