74 MAINS AGRICUI^TURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. I912. 



VINEGAR. 



During the season of 1911 only a few samples of vinegar 

 were collected, but the inspectors made thorough examinations 

 at all of the several hundred stores which they visited to learn 

 the kinds of vinegars which were on sale and what was being 

 done in the case of imitation vinegars. The vinegar situation 

 is very good in the State. 



Imitation vinegar. The low grade, distilled, artificially col- 

 ored, imitation vinegars which were so abundant a few years 

 ago have practically disappeared from the market. Occasion- 

 ally the inspectors found goods of this type of imitation vine- 

 gars similar to that which was found at the store of C. E. 

 Withee, Benton Falls. This was bought from Fuller-Holway 

 Co., Augusta, and it was labeled "E. E. Clifford & Co., Colored 

 Distilled Vinegar, 3 per cent acetic acid, Portland, Me." The 

 vinegar did not seem to be of very good flavor and hence would 

 not be especially desirable for table purposes, and did not carry 

 acetic acid enough to make it safe for keeping pickles. The 

 sample analyzed 3.4 per cent acid. Other than the coloring 

 matter, which was burnt sugar, it was like a somewhat weak, 

 distilled vinegar. Neither in taste nor odor did it at all resem- 

 ble cider vinegar. 



White distilled vinegar. The white distilled vinegars which 

 are used for pickling purposes are still sold to a considerable 

 extent in the State and doubtless in some respects are superior 

 to cider vinegar for the purpose of keeping pickles. The sam- 

 ple purchased from Pomerleau & Huard, Water St., Augusta, 

 and which on analysis was found to carry 4.4 per cent of 

 acetic acid is typical of this class of vinegar. We have not 

 found these vinegars to run below the lawful strength. 



Sugar vinegar. The straight sugar vinegars are still sold to 

 some extent in the State and, as far as our inspectors' observa- 

 tions go, in accordance with the requirements of the law. 



There was found in the wholesale house of E. T. Gallagher 

 & Co., Bangor, a lot of vinegar labeled "Compound of Syrup 

 and Distilled Vinegar. Fleishmann Vinegar Works," which 

 was found to be not a mixture of syrup vinegar and distilled 

 vinegar, but distilled vinegar to which a sugar product had been 

 added. The case was taken up under the National law, the 

 product seized, and the goods destroyed. 



