666 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



larity in packing, and herring, whicli naturally varied because of tlie size of 

 the fisli. 



Weighings of 257 packages of preserves, jelly, sirups, molasses, honey, pickles, 

 ketchups, and condensed milk, showed that " all of the tin cans and most of the 

 glass bottles of the same size shov^-ed fairly uniform weights." 



In the case of biscuits and crackers, all but 4 of the 235 packages, representing 

 8 manufacturers and 27 brands, were guarantied both as to the number of bis- 

 cuits and the weight of the packages. " The deviations from guarantied weight 

 were exceedingly small." 



Some weighings were made of packages of macaroni and similar pastes, pre- 

 pared flour, baking powder, miscellaneous foods, and dried fruits. Of the latter, 

 apples, currants and raisins showed only small variations while dates and 

 prunes showed somewhat larger. 



Of 594 samples in which the weight was stated, weighings showed that 517 of 

 the samples either exceeded the claimed weight or were deficient by less than 

 0.25 oz. Seventy-seven of the samples showed a tendency toward short weight, 

 but in 20 cases the deficiencies seemed to be exceptional. " The . . , [figures] 

 show that manufacturers have little difficulty in satisfying the weights they 

 claim for their products, and the . . . [data in the report] show that nearly all 

 the products examined are packed with reasonably uniform weight." Additional 

 weighings with other samples gave similar results. 



Studies were also made of the shrinkage of dried fruits kept for different 

 lengths of time, the results, according to the author, showing that " dried fruits 

 naturally shrink from 4 to 28 per cent, depending upon the kind of fruit. It is 

 not reasonable to expect that a manufacturer can so label his package as to 

 net weight, as to cover all natural conditions liable to occur between the time 

 it is packed and when the consumer buys it. On the other hand, the packer 

 can control the weight of the fruit at time of packing. It seems resisonable 

 and just, therefore, to require the packer to state on the label the net weight 

 of the fruit when packed." 



In general throughout the bulletin, recommendations are made relative to the 

 allowances which should be permitted for variations in weight in the examina- 

 tion of goods sold in package form. 



Food inspection decision (U. S. Dept. Agr., Food Insp. Decision U/o, p.l). — 

 This decision has to do with oats and barley bleached with suli)[liur. 



Decomposition and its microscopical detection in some food products, B. J. 

 Howard (U. S. Dcpt. Agr. Yearbook J 911, pp. 2i)l-308, pit. 5).— Causes of decay, 

 methods of examination, molds, yeasts, bacteria, and animal invasions in food- 

 stuffs are discussed with special reference to their detection by means of the 

 microscope, as well as the susceptibility of different products to decay, organ- 

 isms that may be properly present, and economic considerations. The article is 

 based on the author's studies and is illustrated with reproductions of micro- 

 photographs. Marketing by the consumer of crops in proper condition, the effect 

 of this upon losses from decay to the canner, and similar questions are also 

 discussed. 



" To efliciently solve the problem, the method of handling some products must 

 be changed, since under present conditioj)s it is practically impossible in some 

 cases to get them to market in proper condition. In such an event it may be 

 necessary to pack the i)roduct nearer the source of supply, instead of depending 

 upon raw material that has spent a sufficiently long time in preparation to 

 allow a more or less advanced state of decomposition to occur. The question 

 of handling, from producer to consumer, is therefore of primary importance, as 

 well as the methods of manufacture; in fact, the two problems are so closely 

 related that no solution is practicable that does not consider both factors." 



