66 



RECREATION. 



Thirty-six samples of chocolate and co- 

 coa were examined during the year, of 

 which 21 were adulterated, the adulterants 

 found being wheat, corn-starch and arrow- 

 root. Several samples of cocoa were found 

 to have admixtures of cane sugar. The 

 worst adulterated sample contained 35 per 

 cent, of corn starch. Several samples of 

 prepared chocolate were found colored 

 with oxide of iron. Methods of detecting 

 such adulterants as the starches in this 

 class of food are largely microscopical. 



Of the 68 samples of confectionery ex- 

 amined, only 3 were found to be adulter- 

 ated, these being chocolate candies colored 

 with oxide of iron. One hundred and 

 thirty-six samples of coffee were analyzed, 

 11 of which were found to be adulterated, 

 the adulterants being peas, wheat, chicory, 

 and pea hulls. The worst sample exam- 

 ined had less than 40 per cent, of pure 

 coffee, the rest being peas, pea hulls and 

 chicory. Of the 66 samples of honey ex- 

 amined, 15 were found to be adulterated, 

 the adulterants being cane sugar or com- 

 mercial glucose, or both. In one case 88 

 per cent, of commercial glucose was found. 

 Fifty-eight samples of maple sugar were 

 examined, of which 6 contained brown or 

 molasses sugar in whole or in part. Sixty- 

 three samples of maple syrup were ana- 

 lyzed, 5 being adulterated with commer- 

 cial glucose, or with can syrup other than 

 maple. Of 176 samples of molasses exam- 

 ined, 29 were found adulterated with com- 

 mercial glucose, the worst adulterated 

 sample containing 78.6 per cent. Under 

 the heading of syrup are included the table 

 syrups, known as sugar house molasses 

 or golden drip syrup, of which 6 samples 

 were examined, 5 of them being found 

 to contain commercial glucose ; also 2 

 samples of fruit syrups, both of which 

 were found preserved with salicyclic acid. 

 Sugar house syrup should, like molasses, 

 have for a normal solution a reading not 

 higher than 60 degrees on the cane sugar 

 scale, using the 200 millimeter tube. 



BAMBOO MANNA AND THE FAMINE IN 

 INDIA. 



The British Food Journal quotes an in- 

 teresting account of the sudden appearance 

 of the edible gum or manna exuding from 

 bamboo cane in certain districts of India 

 during the recent famine. 



"It seems that such a phenomenon has 

 occurred before, but the actual exuding of 

 the gum as at present has been looked 

 upon hitherto as almost a legend. 

 The strange appearance of manna on the 

 stems of the bamboo was reported last 

 March by the Division Forest Officer, 

 Chanda, Central Provinces, and notices of 

 this phenomenon have been published in 

 the local papers. The bamboo forests of 



Chanda consist of Dendrocalamus strictus, 

 the male bamboo, a bushy plant 20 to 

 30 feet in height, and affecting the cooler 

 Northerly and Western slopes of Central 

 and Southern India. This is said to be 

 the first time in the history of these forests 

 that a sweet and gummy substance has 

 been known to exude from the trees. The 

 gum has been exuding in some abundance, 

 and it has been found very palatable to the 

 natives in the neighborhood, who have 

 been consuming it as a food. The occur- 

 rence of the manna at this season is all the 

 more important, since the greatest famine 

 India has known has been visiting the 

 country, and the districts where the scar- 

 city is most keenly felt are in the Central 

 Provinces. An authentic specimen of this 

 bamboo manna was sent to Dr. Watt, Re- 

 porter on Economic Products, Calcutta, 

 and was subsequently handed to Mr. 

 Hooper for examination. It occurred 

 in short, stalactiform rods about an inch 

 long, white or light brown in color, more 

 or less cylindrical in shape, but flattened 

 or grooved on one side, where the tear had 

 adhered to the stem. It was pleasantly 

 sweet, without the peculiar mawkish taste 

 of Sicilian manna. It was soluble in less 

 than its own weight of water, and the solu- 

 tion, when allowed to stand, deposited 

 white, transparent crystals of sugar. The 

 manna contained 2.66 per cent, of mois- 

 ture, 0.96 per cent, of ash, 0.75 per cent, of 

 a substance reducing Fehling solution, and 

 a small quantity of nitrogenous matter. 

 The remainder consisted of a sugar which 

 became inverted in 20 minutes when boiled 

 with dilute hydrochloric acid (1 per cent.), 

 and from its solubility, melting point and 

 crystalline nature, appeared to be a sac- 

 charose related to, if not identical with, 

 cane sugar. It contained no mannite, 

 which is the saccharine principle peculiar 

 to true manna." 



Any man wjho wants to make his wife, 

 his mother, his sister or his sweetheart a 

 beautiful and useful present should send 

 me 10 subscriptions and thus earn one of 

 the exquisite cut glass salad bowls I offer 

 as premium for a' club of that size. These 

 bowls are elaborately cut, in the highest 

 style of the art, and one of them on a din- 

 ing or luncheon table is a perpetual joy to 

 any woman who likes to have the appoint- 

 ments of her home dainty and attractive. 



Larry — Phwas -th' banquet a success, 

 Dinny? 



Denny — Shure! Some wan broke Cas- 

 sidy's mug wid th' lovin' cup. — Chicago 



News. 



