Report of the Chemist for Agriculture. 829 



Home-made Samples. 



At tlie time of making the examination of the jams, it was not 

 possible to obtain all of tlie fruits for preparing corresponding pro- 

 ducts of known purity to serve as laboratory standards of reference. 

 Where these failed, samples of domestic manufacture, however, were 

 obtained. In this manner, using known quantities of water and added 

 sugar, a fairly complete list was secured which, until opportunity is 

 afforded of a more desirable form of preparation, may be regarded as 

 meeting for the time being the desired purpose. As Bigelow points 

 out however, " There is little value in a comparison of jams made from 

 different fruits, by taking as a basis the amount of any constituent 

 present, as the variation is too great," In the home-made samples 

 the amount of sugar u^sed, probably exceeded that used generally in 

 the factory. Boiling also, in the case of watery fruits, is usually con- 

 tinued in the home beyond the time usual in the factory. The higher 

 solid contents generally, of the hnnie-made samples are explained by 

 these two causes. 



The Microscopic Examination. 



The presence of pi-eservatives, starch, glucose, and certain other 

 adulterants, may be revealed in a fruit or vegetable product by 

 chemical analysis alone, but chemical analysis will not disclose with 

 any certainty, the presence of inferior fruit or vegetable pulps, seeds, 

 etc., in a jam. For their identification we have to depend upon the use 

 of the microscope. The identification implies however a knowledge of 

 the microscopical structure of the fruits themselves. Through the 

 presence of certain characteristic histological features in the various 

 fruits, it is possible to make these sei've a diagnostic purpose in the 

 detection of admixtures. The most recent work with this object, is 

 that by A. L. Winton, of the United States. His published results 

 have assisted largely in the microscopic examination of all the jams 

 which was carried out by my Biological Chemist, Mr. C. A. Price. 

 The work of Bigelow, Chief of the Food Laboratory of the United 

 States Department of Agriculture, furnished in a large degree also 

 the methods of examination generally employed. The photographs 

 showing some of the characteristic features of the fruits are the 

 work of Mr. Price. 



Mr. Price's Report. 



Mr. Price in his report states : — " Of the 138 samples of jams and 

 jellies, first quality, which were examined, only two samples, black- 

 berry and red currant jelly, were found to contain fruit other than 

 that mentioned on the label. None of the samples were found to 

 contain any of the preservatives generally used. Tests gave no 

 indication, with the exception of two instances, of added starch, or 

 agar-agar or other gelatinizing matter. Attention was given to the 

 colour and general appearance of the fruit products under examiua- 



