BUREAU OF CHEAIISTRY. 571 



ject to seizure under the provisions of section 10 of the act. Besides 

 the interruptions due to attendance as witnesses in prosecutions of 

 cases based ui)on food and dru<2^ samples, the inspectors, in connec- 

 tion with the fiekl forces of various otlier bureaus in the department, 

 undertook the collection of samples and the consequent work in- 

 volved in the perfornuince of inspection duties in the enforcement of 

 the insecticide and fungicide act of 1910. 



Continuation of Work from the Previous Year. 



Milk and cream. — Campaigns were conducted to determine the 

 character of milk and cream shipped by producers to St. Louis, Mo.; 

 Providence, K. I. ; and Philadelphia, Pa. AVhile a great many of 

 the samples of milk and cream examined were found to be adul- 

 terated from either a chemical or bacteriological standpoint, the ma- 

 jority obtained showed a steady improvement in the quality of inter- 

 state milk and cream since the initiation of these campaigns in 1907. 



Citrus fruits. — The investigation continued from last year of the 

 practices of growers and shippers of citrus fruit showed that there 

 had been almost a total abandonment of "sweating" resorted to by 

 subjecting green and unripe oranges to moist and artificially heated 

 atmosphere in order to hasten the yellow tint of the peel. There still 

 exists, however, such a practice on the part of certain fruit com- 

 mission merchants in several of the large cities, but, so far as we are 

 able to detemiine, this treated fruit is sold locally and no offense 

 committed under the Federal law. The State of Florida has passed 

 a strict State law controlling the traffic in this product. In connec- 

 tion with the general work on citrus fruits, some attention was given 

 to the shipment of frozen oranges, which were packed and ofi'ered 

 for sale in some of the orange sections. 



New AVork. 



Canned foods. — Attention was given in the fall of 1911 to tlie 

 inspection of canning establishments, jjarticularly with a view of 

 reporting the practices of packing tomatoes and other products with 

 what is technically known as " slops " or added water. A compari- 

 son of the reports submitted on the conditions existing last fall, par- 

 ticularly from the standpoint of sanitation, shows a marked improve- 

 ment over the conditions that existed at the time previous inspections 

 were made. This rigid inspection in the case of tomato products, 

 noting the disposition of the jnilp manufactured from skins and 

 cores, was carried from the canning establishments to tomato-ketchup 

 factories. Such observation, together with the prosecutions that 

 followed against shipments of inferior grades, resulted in the mar- 

 keting of ketchup which, from a standpoint of sound and clean ma- 

 terial used and sanitary methods of handling, is decidedly superior 

 to that placed on the market two or three years ago. Ccmtinued 

 attention was given to the inspection of canning establishments 

 engaged in the packing of salmon. 



Cheese. — Special attention was given tc the interstate shipment 

 of short-weight cheese. As a result of this investigation in certain 

 sections of the South, more than 30 shipments, each of considerable 

 quantity, were confiscated. 



