SPICES AND CONDIMENTS. 183 



4522, represented by two different specimens, has, in one case, that 

 analyzed, been deprived of more oil than the preceding, has a consid- 

 erable amount of gypsum in its ash, and 21 per cent, of starch in the 

 shape of wheat flour. The relative percentages of fiber and albumin- 

 oids are thereby reduced somewhat, since 21 per cent, of starch would 

 correspond to about 30 per cent, of flour. Color is given by turmeric. In 

 the other case the changes were similar, except that no turmeric was 

 added, but large amounts of white mustard hulls. 



4527, ground in Baltimore, consists to a large extent of flour, be- 

 tween 40 and 50 per cent., and is made from mustard cake, the oil hav- 

 ing been removed. The color has been restored by turmeric. The sam- 

 ple leaves on sieving quite a large amount of husky and fibrous matter 

 contaminated with wheat flour and turmeric. The husks are not those 

 of the original mustard, and have not been identified, but seem to re- 

 semble the exterior coats of ginger, and may represent an addition of 

 spent ginger or ginger tailing. 



4522, sieving leaves white mustard hulls and yellow corn meal, but 

 no color 5 wheat flour is also present. 



4551. This sample contains turmeric, wheat flour, and salt. 



4532. An English brand, is made from whole seed and is diluted with 

 but little flour and color, about 10 per cent, of the former. 



4536 is made from mustard cake, contains a large amount of gypsum 

 and some starch, and is colored (with turmeric). The large amount of 

 undetermined matter would point also to the presence of other adulter- 

 ants not identified. 



4542 resembles the other English brand examined, 4532 being only 

 altered by the addition of a little flour and color. 



4550 and 4551 are perhaps the worst samples we have examined. 

 They are made from cake, contain no mineral adulterants, but are more 

 than half flour, and are of course much colored with turmeric. They 

 were purchased from the same grocery. One also contained salt, de- 

 tected by sifting. 



4871 and 4872 are similar and but little superior. They were obtained 

 directly from a Baltimore mill in a lot of spices, which were all adulter- 

 ated. 



4971 has been much advertised as quite pure, but was found to con- 

 tain sand and flour, but no color. It is made, as usual, from seed cake. 

 From these samples we learn the quality of the ordinary flour mustard 

 of the groceries. It is not good, and certainly demands reform. 



PEPPER. 



he ordinary black and white peppers of commerce are the fruit of 

 e true pepper plant, Piper nigrum, which grows in the East and West 

 ies. Bed pepper,]or cayenne, is not a pepper, but the fruit of several 

 cies of Capsicum. Tinder the title of " pepper," therefore, attention 



