'234 ANNUAL REPORTS OK DEPARTMF.NT OF AGRICULTURE. 



able plants to determine whether unsatisfactory conditions have been 

 corrected or still prevail; (5) collection of authentic samples of un- 

 adulterated <»;oods for comparison purposes; (6) reporting- interstate 

 shipments from establishments believed to be manufacturinof adul- 

 terated products and collection and examination of samples, fol- 

 lowed by refjulatory action. 



Factory inspections are made by men especially trained for the 

 purpose, and suggestions are freely offered to packers where it ap- 

 pears that corrections in their practices will improve the character of 

 the output. Complete records of inspections and of all suggestions 

 are made on special factory inspection report forms 



Frozen oranges. — Owing to a severe freeze in California in Jan- 

 uary, 1922, about 40 per cent of the orange crop was frozen to a de- 

 gree that rendered it unfit for food. Frozen oranges may not show 

 evidence of damage immediately after freezing, but they deteriorate 

 gradually for several weeks and ultimately develop a dry and juice- 

 less condition, varying in degree witli the extent of frosting. Thus a 

 shipment apparently uninjured when packed may become practically 

 worthless by the time it reaches an eastern market. It is to the inter- 

 est of the trade as a whole to keep such fruit from the market. 



The State of California, in the interest of the orange industry' of 

 the State, issued drastic regulations to prevent the shipment of 

 frozen oranges Through the cooperative efforts of Federal and 

 State inspectors a close watch was kept on shipments of oranges, and 

 several shipments of the frozen fruit were seized under the Federal 

 food and drugs act in the various sections of the United States to 

 which they were shipped. This Avas made possible through the unified 

 action of the various stations of the bureau. 



Stock feed. — Work on tlie control of stock feeds is an important 

 project in the three inspection districts, but particularly so in the 

 central district, which is the chief producing section in the country. 

 Most of the States require by law that the labels on packages of 

 stock feeds shall show the percentage of protein, fat. crude fiber, 

 and other substances which indicate the probable feeding value of 

 the product. Incorrect branding in this particular is in violation 

 of the Federal law where the product is shipped interstate. Ex- 

 tensive work on the part of the field force has been necessary to 

 check this form of misbranding. Another form of adulteration to 

 whicli attention was given was the addition of water and screenings 

 to oats. Other feed products investigated include cotton seed, mixed 

 feeds, alfalfa meal, linseed meal, ])arley products, and the like. Re- 

 ports from the inspection districts indicate that there has been less 

 adulteration and misbranding in feeds since the cost of feed ingre- 

 dients has decreased than was ]H'evalent when prices were high dur- 

 ing and immediately following the war. 



( hlorofonn. — A "campaign was carried on during the year by 

 Federal, State, and city officials to eliminate from the market de- 

 composed chloroform put up in tins and found to be unfit for 

 anesthesia purposes. The districts were instructed to proceed sys- 

 tematically with the collection and examination of chloroform in 

 tin containers. Several seizures of the decomposed product were 

 effected. Some of the leading manufacturers took steps to with- 

 draw immediately from the market all of their chloroform that had 



