APPENDIX. 135 



inert plant-food of the soil and putting its hoarded, capital into 

 active circulation." 



Bulletin 20 will continue this discussion in the consideration of a 



certain class of cattle foods. 



W. H. JORDAN. 

 Maine State College, 

 Okoxo, Me., March loth, 1895. 



BULLETIN No. 20. 



A DISCUSSION OF CERTAIN COMMERCIAL ARTICLES. 

 (2) Foods. 



A class of materials commonly spoken of as "Condimental" or 

 * 'patent" foods, has been found in our markets for many years. 

 Now and then a new one appears, as has lately been the case in 

 Maine. These foods are generally given some pretentious name 

 such as "Condimental Cattle Food," "Imperial Egg Food," "Nutrio- 

 tone," etc. They usually possess an aromatic or other positive odor, 

 which to the uninitiated gives the appearance of value. 



The claims that are made for the nutrient and tonic properties 

 of these commodities are fairly startling as lying outside the range 

 of either common experience or scientific knowledge, and on the 

 strength of such claims these wonderful mixtures are sold in most 

 cases at prices ranging from $100 to $2,000 per ton. How utterly 

 absurd both the claims and the prices appear in the light of facts! 

 Repeated careful examinations of these materials show that without 

 exception they consist principally of common cattle foods, or other com- 

 mon materials, mired with small percentages of the cheapest and most 

 ordinary medicinal substances. 



The following are the results of a number of examinations made 

 by various experiment stations: 



From Rep. Conn. Expt. Sta., 187S, p. 125. 



"Condimental Cattle Food," cost $8.00 per 100 pounds. "It con- 

 sists chiefly of corn meal and bran. It contains enough fenugreek 

 to give it a strong flavor of that aromatic seed and likewise some 

 seeds like caraway in appearance . . . ." 



From Rep. Maine Exp. Sta., 18S5, p. 52. 



"Imperial Egg Food." Cost 50 cents per pound. Chiefly clam 

 and oyster shells with some bone, also some pepper. 



Johnson's Continental Food. Cost 75 cents for 10' pounds. "A 

 mechanical examination shows that the food is undoubtedly wheat 

 bran with possibly some middlings." Contains "some fenugreek" 

 and "a little sulphur." 



