No. 7. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 87 



FICTITIOUS FIRM NAMES AND ADDRESSES. 



While not a common practice, it has become evident that there 

 were food products placed upon the market which bore fictitious 

 names and addresses of so-called manufacturers. This caused con- 

 fusion and loss in several cases where the goods sold under such mis- 

 leading labels were found to be illegal, and their real origin could 

 not be traced. The National law prohibits such misbranding, and 

 some means should be devised to stop the practice that prevails in 

 this State. The question would not be of such importance if the 

 goods covered by the fictitious labels complied with the law. An 

 overwhelming majority of the manufacturers, jobbers and dealers 

 are determined not to handle such goods, and discountenance their 

 sale in every practicable manner. 



PURE WATER ESSENTIAL ON DAIRY FARMS. 



As the health of the public largely depends upon cleanliness, and 

 one of the most serious dangers is contamination of the water sup- 

 ply, the dairy farm is always subject to special danger because of a 

 crude or imperfect sewage system. If the water supply on a dairy 

 farm is contaminated, it is utterly impossible to i>roduce sanitary 

 milk, since utensils washed in impure water will directly affect the 

 milk. Such infected milk Avill produce bowel disturbances, typhoid 

 fever and dysentery, while the real cause may not be suspected. As 

 the health of the people, whether in the city, town or country, de- 

 pends so greatly upon the purity and cleanliness of the milk supply, 

 the legislature would act wisely if needed laws to cover a proper in- 

 spection of barns, herds and utensils were formulated and enacted. 

 The enormous mortality of infants below the age of one year forms 

 its own commentary. This, in a large degree, is due to the substi- 

 tution of artificial, or bottle feeding in place of the natural process 

 of rearing and feeding babes. Were the milk pure and properly 

 treated, the artificial feeding would not be subject to such strong 

 condemnation, based upon careful experiments. 



BAKING POWDER. 



Many correspondents have applied for information regarding the 

 legality of baking powders, their various kinds, comparative values, 

 etc. Their status may perhaps be best defined by the statement 

 that no kind of baking powder is deemed adulterated under our 

 food law, providing no deleterious ingredients are used in its man- 

 ufacture, and no deception is practiced. While we have no special 

 law governing the manufacture and sale of baking powder, it might 

 be well to bear in mind that although a wide latitude of nomencla- 

 ture has been permitted, it would be wise not to misbrand nor mis- 

 represent such goods to the financial harm or detriment of the pur- 

 chaser and consumer. 



ANALYZING FLOUR FOR INFORMATION. 



Housekeepers and others have at various times asked for analyses 

 of samples of flour. Under the rules of the Dairy and Food Divis- 

 ion, such requests could not be granted, since no fund to pay the 



