No. 6. DEPARTMENT OP AGRICULTURE. 83 



NEED FOR PRACTICAL FOOD EXHIBITS. 



.Because of the increased and pronounced public interest in pure 

 food supplies and the food shows which are being held in the large 

 cities by various organizations, the Dairy and Food officials of Penn- 

 sylvania have been requested to prepare for display at such shows, 

 an exhibit or collection of exhibits showing the form and manner 

 of food adulterations and fraudulent or counterfeit productions, to- 

 gether with full particulars. The display, if arranged, might go even 

 further, and show as far as practicable, the nutritive values of food. 

 Adulterated dairy and food products, if properly classified, together 

 with an exhibit of pure goods, could be so displayed as to prove an 

 almost invaluable source of information and education. 



While labor and expense would be necessary, it is certain that the 

 time and money would be well spent, if such a display were assem- 

 bled in the offices of the Commissioner, and also for use at pure food 

 shows. A representative of the Commissioner could at a trifling 

 cost, if deemed necessary, attend such shows and explain the ex- 

 hibits to the public. There is ample excellent material for a dis- 

 play available. 



SALE OF IMMATURE OR "BOB-VEAL." 



Because of questionable or doubtful phraseology in formulating 

 an act to prevent the killing for food purposes of calves under 

 four weeks old, His Excellency, Governor Pennypacker, vetoed an 

 act relating to this important subject which was passed by the 

 Legislature of 1905. This necessity for Executive interference with 

 the proposed act is sincerely regretted as the trade in "bob-veal" or 

 "monkey-veal" in Pennsylvania has assumed very large proportions. 

 There is but a single compensating feature manifest, which is in 

 the fact that but very little of the immature veal is sold to the con- 

 sumers of Pennsylvania, directly, but is shipped to the larger cities 

 outside of the Commonwealth. 



It is unfortunately true, however, that some of the deleterious 

 meats are canned and reshipped into the State in the guise of various 

 high-sounding names entirely foreign to "monkey-veal" and at cor- 

 respondingly high prices. The epicurean is, therefore, as in past 

 years, not always positive or certain as to the origin or ancestry of 

 the potted canvas-back duck, turkey and chicken which may be dis- 

 played before him in the most tempting manner. The Commissioner 

 has co-operated with the health authorities of several adjoining 

 states in his endeavor to suppress the nefarious traffic, but, as ship- 

 ments are usually made in bales and boxes, or clandestinely, if possi- 

 ble, the results desired are difficult to reach. The subject will no 

 doubt receive further legislative consideration at the next session. 



ADVOCATING NEW LIQUOR LEGISLATION. 



As the adverse decision of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 

 to which reference is made on another page of this report, practi- 

 cally ended the prosecution of dealers who sold spurious, harmful 

 and deleterious liquor, it is reasonably fair to assume that the 

 betterment of conditions which was produced by the hundreds of 

 prosecutions, has been nullified either wholly or in part. This is 

 the concensus of opinion as expressed by the reputable members 

 of the trade. They refer even more markedly to the immense ad- 



