LABORATORIES FOR SPECIAL PURPOSES 65 



limit, efforts were made to trace its origin and to prevent con- 

 tamination in future. As in previous years, the arsenic was 

 generally traced to the fuel used in drying the malt on the kiln. 



Cider is obtained by fermentation of apple juice. Beverages 

 of a non-alcoholic character are frequently sold as cider or under 

 names such as " Sparkling Cider " and " Champagne Cider," 

 the words " non-alcoholic " or " non-excisable " being occa- 

 sionally added. Some of these beverages are mixtures of real 

 cider with solutions of sugar and contain less than 2 per cent of 

 proof spirit. But the great majority of the non-alcoholic ciders, 

 so called, are entirely free from fermented apple juice, and are 

 simply solutions of sugar which have been aerated, flavoured, 

 and coloured. The use of any name for such beverages, which 

 suggests that they consist wholly of fermented apple juice or 

 cider, is an infringement of the Merchandise Marks Act, and 

 samples are examined in the laboratory for the Board of Agri- 

 culture and Fisheries in the interests of the makers of genuine 

 cider. 



Beverages of this class are frequently prepared from liquids 

 or essences supplied by manufacturers who also furnish a recipe 

 for making " cider " from them. During the year, nineteen 

 samples sold as cider were found to be artificially prepared 

 liquids. In one instance the sellers stated that they had prepared 

 the beverage from a liquid supplied to them by a continental 

 firm as concentrated apple juice. A sample of this liquid was 

 found to be a strong solution of sugar flavoured with fruit essence 

 and coloured with aniline dye and to be quite free from apple 

 juice. 



The earlier stages of the manufacture of spirits and beer are 

 practically the same, and the methods adopted for checking the 

 distillers' operations during the preparation of the fermented 

 liquor or " wash " from which the spirits are distilled are very 

 similar to those employed in the case of beer. 



The duty is, however, charged on the spirits actually produced, 

 and the main object of the preliminary checks on the brewing 

 entries is to ensure that the proper quantity of spirits has been 

 brought to charge, having regard to the quantity of materials 

 used and the quantity of wash distilled. 



The duty is not usually paid on spirits immediately on. com- 

 pletion of the manufacture or immediately after importation, 

 spirits as a rule being stored for shorter or longer periods in duty 



