INTRODUCTION. 



The work reported in this bulletin w:is begun on imported oils 

 .-< -rived through the customs ollirrrs. with a view to determining the 

 nature of the products brought into the United States from abroad 

 and sold as olive oil. It was then thought advisable to go into the 

 open market and secure oils sold in retail stores under foreign labels 

 in order to make a comparison of olive oil as it is received bv the cus- 

 toms oth'cers and as it is sold to the consumer. Having thus collected 

 considerable data on oils of other countries, it seemed expedient to 

 make a study of American olive oils for the sake of comparison. 

 Many samples were therefore purchased in the open market, and a 

 number of representative manufacturers were requested to furnish 

 samples of their product as it left the mill. These requests were quite 

 generally complied with, and in each case the manufacturer sent with 

 his sample an affidavit as to its purity. Employees of the Bureau 

 visited New York. Philadelphia, Washington, Boston, New Haven, 

 Rochester. Buffalo. Burlington, Vt., New Orleans, Chicago, St. Louis. 

 and San Francisco, and purchased both American and foreign oils 

 found in as many stores, selected at random, as it seemed advisable 

 to visit. 



The relatively low price at which imported oils are sold as compared 

 with California oils may often be attributed to their inferior quality. 

 Jn selecting material for the work reported in this bulletin no sam- 

 ples were taken which were not sold as olive oil. Oils sold under 

 other names, or simply as salad oil, were not included. It is a matter 

 especially worthy of comment that the California oils bought in the 

 open market were all of superior quality, and that only two of the 

 h'fteen samples so obtained contained any oil other than olive oil. Of 

 the>e two samples one was not labeled with the name of the manufac- 

 turer, but instead bore the name of the dealer. 



Following the usual custom in such matters, all manufacturers resi- 

 dent in the United States were notified of the results of the examina- 

 tion previous to their publication, and no protests were received 

 except those relating to the two oils mentioned. The dealer from 

 whom one of these samples was obtained replied that he supposed that 

 he w r as handling a high-grade article, while the manufacturers of the 

 other sample wrote us that they had ceased to make olive oil because, 



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