No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 479 



FEEDING STUFFS KEPOKT 



By GEO. G. HUTCHISON 



The work of the Department in enforcing the law regulating the 

 sale of Feeding Stuffs during the year which has just closed has con- 

 tinued along the lines as in previous years, and as each year goes 

 by the need of such a law becomes more apparent. It would be diffi- 

 cult to imagine what the condiiton or character of the Feeding Stuffs 

 sold in Pennsylvania would be if we did not have such a law as is now 

 on our statute books and wliich is being rigidly enforced. While 

 much progress has been made in bettering the feeds sold in the State, 

 it is still necessary to be on the watch for new feeds or by-products 

 which from time to time, are being utilized for feeding purposes, to 

 watch out for adulterants, and to make sure that the consumers of 

 the State are receiving feeds correctly guaranteed and the full value 

 of their money paid out for the same. 



There are thirty-six (36) states which have feeding stuffs laws, five 

 (5) that have general food laws which, in a measure, regulate the 

 sale of feeding stuflfs, and seven (7) which have no laws at all. In 

 these states, therefore, which have no laws, a few of which are close 

 to our borders, it is easy to imagine the character of the feeds sold 

 in such states and it sometimes occurs that a feed intended to be 

 sold where there is no regulation gets into Pennsylvania, as is shown 

 by the fact that recently we found a certain brand of feed which had 

 come into Pennsylvania which contained about 40% of ground peanut 

 hulls. This is an instance of how the consumers are being protected 

 by our own feeding stuffs law and by a special arrangement with the 

 United States Department of Agriculture on interstate shipments. 

 The Chief Chemist upon finding such a brand of adulterated feed 

 being sold can report the case to the Federal authorities and thus 

 our own Department working, with the Federal Department can pro- 

 tect the consumers from such frauds. The usual number of feeding 

 stuffs registrations, which show about 1,200 different brands of feeds 

 being sold in the State, are filed each year which assists greatly in en- 

 forcing the provisions of the act and enables us to keep in touch with 

 the character of the various brands being sold. 



One form of misrepresentation which the Department is endeavor- 

 ing to correct, is the use of the so-called "sliding guarantees" for pro- 

 tein, fat and fiber which are not only misleading and not in agree- 

 ment with the requirements of the act but which, in many cases, does 

 not show the true composition of the feed, as is often found by analy- 

 sis. Some idea of the importance of the work to the farmers and con- 

 sumers of our State can be gained from the fact that according to 



