804 



HOKTlCULTURJi: 



June 5, 190a 



Seed Trade 



AMERICAN SEED TRADE ASSO- 

 CIATION. 

 Watson S. WoodruEE, Orange, Conn., 

 Pres. ; J. C. Robinson, Watiiloo, Neb., 

 First Vke-1'res.; C. E. Kendel, Cleveland, 

 O., See'v and Treas. Twcuty-seveutli an- 

 nual convention Jui.e 22-24, 1909, at Clifton 

 House, Niagarii i alls, Ont. 



WHOLEL-ALE SEEDSMEN'S 



LEAGUE. 



b". W. Bruggerhof, Pres.; Huruet Laud- 

 setli. See'}-. 



An Unwarranted Attack Upon the 

 Canning Industry. 



It would be interesting to Ivnow what 

 influences are behind the propaganda 

 conducted by one William W olff Smith 

 against canned foods. Mr. Smith, pre- 

 sumably, is not conducting this attack 

 for glory or amusement. He is known 

 as a man whose services can be had to 

 help secure the passage' or repeal of 

 legislative acts favorable to or inimi- 

 cal to any particular interests through 

 the creating of public opinion against 

 any measure he wishes repealed, and 

 contra in favor of any enactment de- 

 sired hy him or those he represents. 

 He seems to command a publicity bu- 

 reau which he works assiduously. The 

 writer recalls a specific instance of this 

 kind, but for valid reasons will not 

 mention it at this time. Probably Mr. 

 Smith would object to being called a 

 lobbyist, however. 



Going back to the literature which 

 he is disseminating, can it be that he 

 is trying to create a public prejudice 

 against canned foods in general, 

 though possibly aiming to boost some 

 brand in particular? There is a per- 

 sistent rumor that a certain purveyor 

 of canned foods has been back of the 

 sensational and absolutely false state- 

 ments appearing in certain yellow 

 newspapers, and one or two more 

 weighty periodicals, which have lent 

 their space to the publication of these 

 utterly ignorant and misleading if not 

 malicious statements. 



William Wolff Smith quoted Dr. 

 Wiley against the use of benzoate of 

 soda and plainly seeks to create the 

 impression that it is used in practical- 

 ly all canned foods. He says; "It has 

 been successfully used in ketchup, 

 soups, preserves, apple-butter, soda 

 water syrups, jellies, etc., and it is be- 

 lieved will replace boracic acid in the 

 embalming of roast beef, sausage both 

 green and smoked, potted tongue, ham 

 and chicken, etc." He mentions many 

 other items including practically all 

 pickles, jams and preserves, and says 

 further that to the great preservative 

 properties of this drug are we indebt- 

 ed for the wonderful state of preserva- 

 tion of the Egyptian mummies. He 

 criticises the findings of the Remsen 

 board, at the same time saying that 

 during their investigations, "some 

 symptoms were noticed that were not 

 fully understood"; implying that the 

 board were in doubt about the accu.- 

 acy of their report. 



Now, no one questions the preserva- 

 tive properties of benzoate of soda, and 

 as to its harmful effects, authorities at 

 least differ when it is used in veiy 

 small quantities. William Wolff Smith 

 says it can now be used ad libitum, 

 plainly implying that it will be used in 



large quantities, when as a matter of 

 fact those who find its use necessaiy 

 will leduco the quantity to the lowest 

 mininnuu lequired. To what e.'Ctent it 

 is used in jellies, jams and preset ves, 

 if at all, the writer is unable to state 

 positively, but as a general rule its 

 use is limited to such condiments or 

 other pioducts as are not all consumed 

 at once upon being opened, but which 

 are used in small quantities only, and 

 are e.xpecled to remain in edible con- 

 dition for several days. As a well- 

 nigh universal rule, all food products 

 of fruits or vegetables hermetically 

 sealed either iij glass or tin are put 

 up without benzoate of soda or any 

 other prtservative. 



"The Journal of American Medical 

 Association," is quoted in part as fol- 

 lows; "Benzoate of soda is incorpor- 

 ated in foods either to obviate the nec- 

 essity of cleanliness in preparation, or 

 to permit the use of inferior products. 

 The use of sodium benzoate to pre- 

 serve foodstuffs has proved unneces- 

 sary." If correctly quoted, here is a 

 responsible — one might say authorita- 

 tive joumal — giving circulation to a 

 most rash and unfounded statement, 

 indicating either absolute ignorance o. 

 disregard of facts on the part of its 

 author. It is not improbable that an 

 occasional obscure canner may use un- 

 wholesome products and may operate 

 under unsanitary conditions, but to in- 

 dict all canners in this sweeping man- 

 ner is rankly unjust, and somebody 

 should be called to book. 



It is strange how frequently Dr. 

 Wiley is quoted, showing quite con- 

 clusively, it seems to the writer, that 

 the Doctor's statements have created a 

 most unfavorable impression in the 

 past, whatever his intentions were, 

 and his recent letter to Mr. Frost was 

 only the amende honorable. By the 

 way, Mr. William Wolff Smith and all 

 other traducers of the canning indus- 

 try are cordially invited to read this 

 letter published herewith, and note 

 what the chief authority for most of 

 their mistatements and scurrilous abuse 

 has to say as to the wholesomeness 

 and freedom from preservatives of any 

 kind, of practically all kinds of canned 

 foodstuffs, excluding, of course, condi- 

 ments. Thousands of experiments and 

 years of experience have demonstrated 

 most fully, that the only preservative 

 required for such products is steriliza- 

 tion by heat, and it would be idiocy to 

 go to the expense and trouble of add- 

 ing drugs or chemicals. That preserv- 

 atives and adulterants have been used 

 more or less in the past is not denied, 

 but it can be emphatically stated today 

 that above 95 per cent, of all foods in 

 tin or glass are free from preservatives 

 or drugs of any kind. 



Dr. Wiley's letter to Mr. Frost reads 

 in full as follows; 



Washington, D. C, May 1, 1909. 

 Mr. Walter A. Frost, 



.") Wabash Axe., Chicago, 111. 

 nfar Mr, Frost;— I have often regretted 

 the inadvertent injiny which is done to 

 the canned goods trade liy enthusiastic, 

 well-intentioned, and yet not fully informed 

 writers, implying that canned goods, as 

 s<ich. are adulterated. I tldid; 1 can safe- 

 ly sav that, taking the wliole matter of 

 canned goods together, including fish. 

 canned meats, canned vegetables, and 

 canned fruits, only an extremely small per- 

 centage of them ever contain any added 

 substances whatever, except food and per- 

 haps a little salt or sugar. I thinli this 

 fact ought to be well advertised and pub- 



goods, articles which have not been ster- 

 ilized, for In such articles preservatives 

 are often employed. 1 do not think the 

 great canning trade should suffer because 

 such an insignificant few persist In either 

 u^ing artificial color, artificial sweetener, or 

 a chemical preservative. 



Under the rules of the Department of 

 Agriculture certain substances may be used 

 in foods legally, provided their presence Is 

 plainly stated upon the label. Uuyers of 

 canned goods, therefore, have a certain 

 method of protecting themselves in this 

 matter, and that is to look at the label. 

 When we consider the immense benefit of 

 the canning industry to the consuming 

 public, it appears to uie that we ought to 

 use every honorable endeavor to Set the 

 minds of the community right In regard 

 to the composition of such articles. Of 

 course, some canned goods are of better 

 quality than others, that is a natural and 

 necessary consequence: but the impression 

 that some people obtain that all canned 

 goods contain artificial colors, artificial 

 sweeteners, and preservatives, is a most 

 erroneous one and is harmful to the trade. 

 I am, as you know, a believer in canned 

 goods and in the canning process. I think 

 it is a blessing, and a blessing which is 

 not in disguise. I realize as well as any- 

 one that public prejudice is ditficult to 

 control and to rectify, but I should like 

 to do as much as I can to help this good 

 trade along by appealing to the public not 

 to condemn the whole trade because occa- 

 sionally a sample may be found which is 

 not in that state of purity which the pub- 

 lir demands. Let tlie people give their con- 

 fidence to the trade and let them eliminate 

 those goods which they do not want to 

 purchase, by inspection of the label. 



If you think this letter will be of benefit 

 to the trade, I shall be very glad to have 

 von publish it. Respectfully, 



H. W. WILEY. 



In passing it may be pointed out that 

 Mr. William Wolff Smith does not di- 

 rectly charge that all canned foods are 

 "doped." He says, "it has been suc- 

 cessfully used," and again, "it is be-' 

 lieved it will replace boracic acid," etc. 



This is largely innuendo and implici- 

 tion, but it is probably quite as effec- 

 tive with the average reader as specific 

 and direct charges. 



Crop Prospects. 

 Weather conditions have greatly im- 

 proved and crops are going into the 

 ground rapidly with growing condi- 

 tions about ideal. Peas are late, but 

 there is ample time for corn, beans 

 and all vine seeds, and there is hope 

 tor good crops of these, but peas are 

 starting under more or less of a handi- 

 cap, though with favorable conditions 

 up to havest, a good average crop may 

 be looked for. 



lisbed. 



urse. I do not include in canned 



The ConventTons. 



Those contemplating attending the 

 forthcoming seedsmen's convention 

 should lose no time in making appli- 

 cation for rooms, as with its regular 

 patrons, the hotel will be well filled. 

 Address "The Cliiton, ' Niagara Falls, 

 Ontario. 



Atlantic City has been selected as 

 the place for the next canners' con- 

 vention. "The Randolph" is to be 

 headquarters as in 1906, Something 

 further may be said about both of 

 these conventions in the near future. 



Personal. 



.John Badger and wife of Gardena, 

 Calif., sailed on the S. S. Carmania on 

 May 22 for a European trip. 



D. Hamilton and C. C. Massie of 

 Northrup, King & Co.. Minneapolis. 

 Minn., sailed on the Baltic on the 2Gth 

 ult. for Europe. 



G. C. Eldering of W. J. Eldering & 

 Son. Overeen Holland, will sail from 

 New York on June 8 on the New Am- 

 steidam. 



