BUREAU OF CHEMISTRY. 465 



amounts, particularly from Jamaica and India. During the past 

 season over 45,000 pounds have been imported through Boston alone, 

 but a comparatively small proportion of these nuts are used whole, 

 the larger part being ground and mixed with other higher-priced 

 nuts of more pronounced flavor, such as the almond. A chemical 

 and microscopical study has been made of cashew nuts, from which 

 their addition in appreciable amounts to other nut mixtures or pastes 

 may be detected. 



BUFFALO LABORATORY. 



Of the 105 import samples examined at the Buffalo laboratory 29 

 were found to be illegal, and were either relabeled under customs 

 supervision or reshipped from the country. Port inspections were 

 continued throughout the year at Buffalo, Niagara Falls, and Roch- 

 ester. Of the 377 interstate samples Gl per cent were found to be 

 illegal, the principal classes of foods inspected being grape juice and 

 other unfermented beverages, fruit and saccharine products, flavor- 

 ing extracts, spices, dairy products, cocoa, and chocolate. One hun- 

 dred and fifty-nine hearings were held, of which 117 were reported 

 in writing, 19 held orally, and at 15 the persons cited appeared and 

 presented their statement in writing. Eight citations to hearing 

 met with no response. 



Investigations undertaken during the year included a completion 

 of work, previously reported, on the composition of canned peas and 

 beans, the results being published in Bureau of Chemistry Circular 

 No. 54. Methods for the determination of sugars and fat in cocoa 

 products and for the determination of added cocoa shells in such 

 products were also studied and an extended investigation made to 

 provide a satisfactory procedure for determining the alkalinity of 

 ash for use in judging of alkali-treated cocoas. Some collaborative 

 work has also been done on flavoring extracts and paprika. 



CHICAGO LABOKATOBY. 



Owing to special work relating to bleached flour, the number of 

 samples examined at the Chicago laboratory in the ordinary course 

 of insi)ection was somewhat less than during the preceding year. Of 

 the 1,844 official samples of domestic foods analyzed OSi), or 51 per 

 cent of the total number, were found to be illegal. The percentages 

 of the samples found to be adulterated or misbranded, in the case 

 of the principal classes of foods examined, were as follows: Cereal 

 products, including flour, 02 per cent; coffee and cocoa, 23 j^er cent; 

 flavoring extracts, 52 per cent ; fruit joroducts, 45 per cent ; sacchar- 

 ine products, 55 per cent ; spices and condiments, 34 per cent. Cita- 

 tions of hearings have been issued in 305 cases, in the innjority of 

 which evidence was presented in person b}^ the party cited or his 

 representative. 



Inspection of 2,572 shipments of imported foods on the floors of 

 the appraiser's stores led to the taking of 208 sample^, of which num- 

 ber 125, representing 42 per cent of the total number of samples 

 examined, were found to be illegal. The classes of products most 

 commonly found adulterated were dairy products, and preserved 

 meat and fish. 



73477°— AG R I'JIO 30 



