OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST. 97 



I append the following statement of facts as communicated to 

 me by the Messrs. S. S. Pierce c*c Co., through their attorney, W. L. 

 Fierce : 



C. Y. Riley, Esq., St, Louis, Mo. — Dear Sir : 



Twenty tcs. of hams, which we received from Messrs. S. Davis, Jr., 

 it Co., during the months of April and May, 1873, were well cared for, 

 in the best manner possible, by being taken from the cask and hung 

 up in our loft, which for fifteen years past has been used for the same 

 purpose. We had no occasion to use any of the hams until the fol- 

 lowing August, when they were found to be full of worms. We at 

 once made claim on the packers, but could get no satisfaction what- 

 ever. Several modes of settling the question were proposed, and at 

 last it was a. 'reed to leave it to referees. Before making our state- 

 ment, we had the hams examined by two of our most eminent pack- 

 ers, who gave their opinion in writing; and also Messrs. Goulard, 

 8mith ct Co., the regular ham examiners appointed by the Boston 

 Board of Trade. Mr. Baldwin, one of the above gentlemen, stated 

 that whereas Messrs. S. Davis, Jr., & Co. had previously used rnanilla 

 paper in bagging their hams, they now use husk paper, which is very 

 likely to contain the germ from which the worm is bred. You will 

 probably know how far the statement is correct. The arbitration 

 committee which decided the question was composed of ham-packers, 

 all doing business in Cincinnati, and they probably found it impossi- 

 ble to decide a question against a fellow-tradesman, especially as such 

 decision might at some future time be used against themselves. At 

 all events, the question was not fully considered, for, instead of de- 

 ciding a simple case upon its merits, they made it very complex by 

 discussing points which had no particular bearing on this case, as the 

 following extract from their decision will show: 



''It being in evidence that the hams were in good condition when 

 shipped trom Cincinnati, and in apparent good condition on arrival in 

 Boston in May and June; the delay of examination of the hams until 

 August, and the well-known fact to the trade that a warm, damp at- 

 mosphere and want of free circulation of air on the hams will produce 

 or generate the wormin light-salted S. C. hams; the question whether 

 the worms are generated from the seed deposited during the process 

 of curing or not is a question of doubt to the trade, and has not been 

 settled to the satisfaction of parties at variance." 



Please to remember that it had been particularly stated that the 

 hams were hung in a cool, dry atmosphere, where there was free cir- 

 culation of air; also that the hams were hanging in the same place 

 awaiting the decision of the arbitration, and outwardly to all appear- 

 ance in as perfect condition as when they left Cincinnati. AVe should 

 like to ask you privately what is the use of bagging and painting 

 hams unless to protect the meat from being lly-blown ; also, if the fly 

 can penetrate the outside wrappers of painted canvas and paper. 



Having pledged ourselves to abide by the decision of the arbitra- 

 tion, we were bound to hold our peace, although, in our judgment, 

 had the merits of the case been fully discussed, and evidence been 

 taken touching every point of the same, and prejudice of location 

 been avoided, a different result v/ould have been obtained. * *' 



It is surprising that the parties in dispute in such a case seldom 

 think of seeking competent scientific as well as legal advice. A lit- 



