158 MAINE AGRICUIvTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. 



Ill October 1909, the following standard was published for 

 Maine : "Opened oysters sold in bulk shall not contain ice or 

 added wajter, nor more than 17 per cent by weight of free 

 liquids, nor less than 10 per cent by weight of total dry solids." 

 These limits were adopted after careful examination of both 

 solid packed and adulterated goods. It was found that the 

 free liquids which were drained from pure oysters would not 

 exceed 16 per cent and usually ran much under that figure, 

 while the free liquids from the iced oysters sometimes ran as 

 high as 65 per cent. It w^as found further that the oysters 

 themselves after being freed from the liquid had taken in water 

 so that the actual meat of the watered stock was only 8.6 per 

 cent, whereas the meat of the solid pack was 13.4 per cent. 

 Although the present definition of shell fish does not mention 

 the chemical composition, oysters that come within these limits 

 are passed so far as added water is concerned. 



In Official Inspections 30 the results of the examination of 56 

 different samples of oysters, purchased in different parts of the 

 State, were reported. Of these 7i per cent were passed as 

 within the above limits and as being reasonably good. Since 

 those results were published the Station has examined 55 sam- 

 ples of oysters taken, as before, in various parts of the State, 

 and the results of the examination of these samples were 

 found to be practically the same as the first lot. 70 per cent 

 of the 55 were passed as being within the limits of the standard 

 as good unadulterated oysters. In most of the cases where 

 the oysters carried too much water prosecutions were com- 

 menced and the dealers paid a fine without carrying the cases 

 to court. A few of the cases were dropped without prosecution 

 after obtaining a second sample which proved to be much better 

 than the first. 



The results here published, compared with those published 

 over a year ago, do not show the improvement in the conditions 

 under which these goods are sold which should be shown, 

 and as the oyster season is again about to commence the dealers 

 are cautioned to exercise all care that the goods which they 

 handle are above standard. When the oysters are purchased 

 written guarantees should he obtained, stating that these goods 

 are in accord zvith the requirements of the Maine Pood 

 Lazv. Water should not he sold as oysters, and if in trans- 



