PURE AND IMPURE FOODS. 



393 



who manipulate the Babcock test or any 

 other test for the purpose of measuring 

 the butter fat in milk or cream, for a 

 basis of apportioning the values, are re- 

 quired to secure certificates from the super- 

 intendent of the dairy school of the State, 

 who is the director of the experiment sta- 

 tion, stating that they are competent and 

 well qualified to perform the test. The 

 rules and regulations governing the grant- 

 ing of these certificates are to be fixed by 

 the superintendent of the dairy school, and 

 the fee for issuing a certificate is not to 

 exceed $i, to be paid by the applicant. The 

 penalty for violating this section is a fine 

 not exceeding $10. The law further forbids 

 the use of sulphuric acid of less than 1.82 

 specific gravity for official purpose. The 

 fine for having a weaker acid in possession 

 where such tests are made is not to exceed 

 $25 for the first offense or $50 for the sec- 

 ond offense. It is made the duty of every 

 milk inspector, sheriff, deputy sheriff, and 

 constable to institute complaint against 

 any person or persons violating the pro- 

 visions of the law, and, on conviction, one- 

 half of the fine is to go to the complainant, 

 and the balance to the State. 



The Vermont law omits the clause in 

 regard to the employment of sulphuric acid 

 of 1.82 specific gravity. The penalty for 

 violating either of the other clauses is not 

 exceeding $25 for the first offense nor $50 

 for each subsequent offense. In all other 

 respects it is like the Maine law. 



The fact is recognized that in many 

 cases the provisions of the laws enacted 

 simply represent the best available knowl- 

 edge at the present time. Many investiga- 

 tions are needed before all disputed points 

 can be settled and the fairest adjustment 

 made as regards producer and consumer. 

 It is evident to all that harmful materials 

 should not be sold as food under any cir- 

 cumstances. In the manufacture of certain 

 products it is claimed that the addition of 

 some foreign substance is often necessary 

 in order to secure the best results. Thus 

 it is sometimes claimed that chocolate re- 

 quires the addition of a certain quantity of 

 starch. If this is true, the limit of such 

 addition should be fixed by law. If mix- 

 tures are to be sold, they should not be 

 given misleading names. Coffee with a 

 little chicory added is sometimes said to 

 be preferred to coffee alone, but the con- 

 sumer should have the choice and should 

 not be compelled to buy the mixture under 

 the name of coffee. 



In some States it is unlawful to add pre- 

 servatives, such as boric acid, etc., to foods. 

 Under any circumstances if preservatives 

 or coloring matters are added to food, the 

 fact should be plainly stated. The con- 

 sumer can then judge whether he desires 

 the goods or not. It is sometimes claimed 



that certain canned vegetables are not sal- 

 able unless slightly colored and that the 

 quantity of coloring matter present is not 

 harmful. If the fact that such goods are 

 colored with certain substances is plainly 

 stated, there is at least no deception prac- 

 ticed. The use of any coloring matter or 

 preservative material, which experience or 

 observation has shown to be harmful 

 should certainly be forbidden. 



When either goods of inferior quality, 

 or a mixture of such material and good 

 material is sold at the same price and under 

 the same name as articles of superior 

 quality, the buyer is deceived if not injured. 

 To be wise, pure food laws should be just 

 to all parties concerned. The problem 

 presents many difficulties, but is of such 

 vital importance that it deserves even 

 greater attention than it has up to the 

 present time received. 



COLD STORAGE POULTRY AND GAME. 



The number of those who believe that 

 freshly killed poultry and game are superior 

 to cold storage goods has apparently in- 

 creased. Decomposition is undoubtedly 

 hindered in cold storage, but such 

 lack the fine flavor of those recently 

 killed. In the opinion of a recent writer 

 "there is nothing attractive about cold stor- 

 age poultry, yet there is a good sale for this 

 class of goods. It is exposed for sale at the 

 time when broilers and roasters are high 

 in price and is good value for the price paid. 

 It can never displace the fresh product, 

 however, and poultry raisers need have no 

 fear on that score.. 



"In autumn the big packing houses and 

 storage companies begin to gather in chick- 

 ens that weigh 2]/ 2 to 3^ or 4 pounds. 

 These are considered choice stock and a 

 fair price is paid for them. Even at that, 

 the buyer makes an enormous profit simply 

 by placing them on the market at the right 

 time. Experienced poultry raisers recog- 

 nize this fact; and while they can not store 

 their chickens for future sale, they can and 

 do hatch them earlier, and so are in a posi- 

 tion to market them fresh when prices are 

 high, just at the time the cold storage man 

 gets his stock before the public. 



"Most of the cold storage poultry is 

 bought from farmers who have not yet 

 learned to market their stock early in the 

 season when the chicks are little and the 

 prices are big. The day of the incubator 

 and the brooder has come and poultrymen 

 are now enabled to get out a lot of chicks 

 early in the spring and so have them 

 ready for the broiler market. Formerly 

 the hatch, hatch and hatch again, with hens, 

 from April to July prevented this. The 

 farmer will doubtless rise to the occasion 

 and buy an incubator when it has been 



