February 7, 1890.] 



SCIENCE. 



87 



O eomargarine. 



Within the past few years two artificial food products made 

 from what had theretofore been considered waste products of the 

 large slaughter-houses have come prominently before the public, 

 and established a legitimate place for themselves as perfectly 

 ■wholesome articles of food. Oleomargarine and "refined" or 

 ' 'compound' ' lard are now found on sale in most cities of this 

 country and Europe. Against the former there has been a large 

 amount of legislation directed with a view of controlling its pro- 

 duction and sale, and with the unexpected result of increasing 

 both. 



^^^latever may have been the production of oleomargarine in 

 this country before the National law went into effect, we have no 

 reliable statistics; but since the 1st of November, 1886, we have 

 the monthly, statements of the manufacturers, duly attested under 

 oath, of the quantity of oleomargarine made and removed from 

 the factories, tax paid for domestic consumption or in bond for 

 export, each day of the month. These statements also give the 

 quantity and kind of materials employed in the manufacture, 

 and the names and addresses of the parties to whom the oleomar- 

 garine is sold or consigned. 



The following table shows the monthly quantity of oleomar- 

 garine i^roduoed in this country from Nov. 1, 1886, to Nov. 1, 

 1889: — 



Table II. 

 Showing the Quantity of Oleomargarine produced, withdrawn 



Tax paid, for Export, and Lost or Destroyed in Manufactories, 



from Nov. 1, 1886, to Nov. 1, 1889. 



tory': when compared to those paid by other special tax-payers, 

 rectifiers, brewers, etc., as shown in the following table, the 

 amounts are from three to ten times as high : — 



During this period the number of factories has decreased from 

 37 to 21, notwithstanding which fact the production and sale 

 liave increased steadily. It is produced by expensive machinery 

 in the large factories in such quantities that it can be sold nearly 

 the whole year round at a less price than butter, although the 

 high rate of tax paid by both the manufacturers and dealers, 

 which is, of course, ultimately paid by the consumer, necessarily 

 increases the market price. In the spring and early summer 

 months the price of dairy butter is generally cheaper tlian oleo- 

 margarine, and consequently less of the latter is made and sold 

 during tliat time. In July the production of oleomargarine 

 reaches its lowest limits for the yeai-, and obtains its highest in 

 March. 



Tlie system followed by the Interaal Revenue Bui'eau is such 

 that each manufactui-er' s package can be traced from the time it 

 leaves tlie factory till it reaches the hands of the retailer or con- 

 sumer, or leaves the country. 



The high rate of tax demanded from the manufacturers and 

 dealers was undoubtedly intended to be nearly or quite prohibi- 



* Rectifier of 500 barrels, or more, per annum. 

 t Annual manufacture, 500 barrels or more. 

 t Pedler of tobacco, first-class. 



It is undoubtedly a fact that if the retailer's tax was as low as 

 that for tobacco, the manufacturei's of oleomargarine would pay 

 the same to have at least one dealer to handle their goods in 

 every village and town in this country. As it is, in the Cliicago 

 district, where there are seven factories, there were 974 retail 

 dealers doing business in April, 1889, compared with 726 the 

 April previous; in the Boston district, with its one factory, 

 there were 460 retailers in April last year, and 405 at the coi-re- 

 sponding time in 1888; in the Connecticut district, with four 

 factories, there were 424 in 1889, and 384 the year previous; 

 and in Michigan, with no factory, there were 390 and 267 re- 

 spectively for the same periods. These four collection districts 

 contain over one-half of the total number of retail dealers doing 

 business at the close of the last special tax year (April 30, 1889) . 

 This would seem to indicate that where the public has been 

 brought in unprejudiced contact with oleomargarine, as sold on 

 its Own merits, they have found it palatable and suitable to 

 theii- wants. 



I have been in retail stores in the lumber and mining regions 

 of the upper peninsula of Michigan, in Boston, Chicago, and 

 elsewhere, where as much as one-half to one ton of oleomargarine 

 is sold per week, in quantities of less than ten pounds to any one 

 purchaser at one time, put up in packages duly branded with the 

 word ' 'Oleomargarine, ' ' as required by the law and regulations. 

 It may interest you to know that there was consigned to retail 

 dealers, and presumably sold in Washington, between Jan. 1, 

 1889, and Bee. 1, 1889, 130,584 pounds of oleomargarine, as 

 shown in the following table: — 



Table IV. 

 Showing Monthly Shipments of Oleomargarine from Five Manu- 

 facturers Direct to Retail Dealers hi Washington, D.C., from 

 Jan. 1, 1889, to Dec. 1, 1889. 



Month. Lbs. Oleomargarine. 



January 10,270 



February 28,223 



March 6,427 



April 8,108 



May 12,373 



June 6,808 



July 6,836 



August 8,466 



September.... 13,873 



October 12,844 



November 16,568 



Total 130,584 



The ingi-edients which enter into the manufacture of oleo- 

 margarine are (1) neuti-al or leaf lard, used in the proportion of 

 from 35 to 60 per cent, made from the leaf fat of freshly slaugh- 

 tered hogs; (2) oleo-oil, used in tlie proportion of fi-om 30 to 50 

 per cent, made from the caul and suet fats of freshly slaughtered 

 beeves; (3) some liquid vegetable oil, as cottonseed, sesame, 

 peanut, used in the proportion of from o to 25 per cent, made 

 by crushing the seeds and exti-acting the oil by pressure or sol- 

 vents ; (4) milk or cream, used in the proportion of from 10 to 

 20 per cent; (5) butter, used in the proportion of from 2 to 10 

 l^er cent, generally bought from the best creameries for its fine 



