56 



ANNUAL REPORT OF THE 



Off. Doc. 



Year 



a 



1907. 

 1908. 

 1909, 

 1910, 

 1911, 

 1912, 

 1913, 

 1914, 

 1915, 



$55,732 63 1 

 54,580 62 

 86,594 15 ■ 

 110,802 95 t 

 120,993 48 

 136,125 49 

 173.789 76 

 225,910 7S 

 279,055 40 



$78,455 88 

 69,968 20 

 83,700 00 

 79,661 65 

 83,083 15 

 81,858 55 

 75,587 12 

 73,271 41 

 85,901 36 



$1,243,585 26 i $711,487 32 



It will be seen from these figures that 1915 has been a record 

 year with respect to each of the items included in this table. It 

 would be an error to judge that food adulteration and misbranding 

 are increasing because the number of cases terminated has been 

 greater in 1915 than in any preceding year. The condition of the 

 food market shows exactly the opposite to be the fact. The increas- 

 ing number of cases is the result, in part, of the increased number 

 of examinations; in part, of improved methods of examination 

 whereby defects that previously eluded proof, can now be established 

 with certainty; in part, to the increased experience of the agency 

 force; and, in part to additional legislation that has defined some of 

 the offenses more specifically. 



While the major portion of the time of the Bureau's experts 

 has, as in the past, been devoted to the current examination of 

 miscellaneous food samples, as they have been received, it has been 

 found possible to provide for two investigations of a more gen- 

 eral character. The first of these was undertaken for the purpose 

 of better enforcement of the Milk Law and was assigned to Pro- 

 fessor C. B. Cochran, of this Bureau. This investigation related 

 particularly to the comparative composition of the milks from dif- 

 ferent breeds of cows, with an additional study of the composition 

 of butter, particularly in relation to its water content. The results 

 of these investigations appear in Bulletin No. 2G8, of this Department, 

 written by Professor Cochran, who has brought together in it not 

 only the results of his own work, but the work of other American milk 

 investigators relating to the same subject. This bulletin will be of 

 value to every food analyst and should be of interest to all milk 

 producers and vendors. 



The second investigation deals with tomato ketchTip and was 

 made under the direction of Dr. C. H. La Wall, of this Bureau. Its 

 purpose was to make a general survey of the condition of the tomato 



