[48 



RECREATION. 



ARTIFICIAL COLORING OF FOOD. 



Professor M. A. Scovell, in speaking of 

 the color in foods says : 



"Certain colors are associated with the 

 different foods and their condition. Boiled 

 flour, granulated sugar and starch are 

 white. Fruits present different shades of 

 color by means of which the ripeness of 

 the respective fruit is judged. Pears, 

 peaches, and apples, grapes and berries 

 show varying shades of red, purple and 

 y How. The richness of milk is sometimes 

 judged by the yellow tinge from the glo- 

 bules of butter fat it contains. Fresh 

 meats have a color distinct from that of 

 spoiled meats. Vegetables, pickles, and 

 some other foods of a similar character 

 are green, or they present their individual 

 garden color. 



Tn the market, foods are selected large- 

 ly by their color. At the table, the eye 

 aids the taste in pleasing the senses. Color, 

 therefore, is an important factor in foods, 

 and when the natural color is wanting, or 

 condemns the article, the manufacturer 

 supplies it artificially, or changes it to the 

 color of a better article. 



"Pastry and confectionery are colored, 

 and the uses of artificial coloring matters 

 that are harmless seem legitimate under 

 proper restrictions in this class of foods. 

 Many foods have their colors changed in 

 the process of preservation, and the manu- 

 facturers seek to restore the original by 

 adding some artificial coloring matter, as is 

 especially the case with fruit products. 

 When green vegetables are canned, their 

 colors are preserved or set with copper, 

 zinc, lead or alum; thus the green of peas, 

 beans and pickles is kept from changing to 

 unappetizing shades when they are canned. 



"Artificial coloring matters are employed 

 to cover deficiencies and to make the imi- 

 tation appear like real. Skimmed milk is 

 colored in order that it may appear rich ; 

 spirit vinegar is colored in imitation of ci- 

 der vinegar, and artificial jellies are colored 

 to the respective shades of the fruits they 

 are labeled to have been made from. 

 When artificial coloring matter is used to 

 such an extent, or of such a poisonous char- 

 acter that the purity of the food is sacri- 

 ficed for appearance, such use should be 

 prohibited. When color is used to cover 

 defects, inferiorities, or to imitate, its use 

 is a fraud." 



In every case, in samples of food recently 

 examined, where the Kentucky law does 

 not prohibit coloring matter on account of 

 its poisonous character or fraudulent in- 

 tent, the law commands that its use shall 

 be made known to the customer and con- 

 sumer. The artificial coloring matters 

 found were mostly the aniline dyes, of 

 which there are many forms. These dyes 

 are made from coal tar products. 



RESULT OF FEEDING SAWDUST. 



Reading an article in December Recrea- 

 tion on the value of sawdust as a food for 

 cattle reminds me of an incident that is 

 said to have occurred to one of my fellow 

 townsmen. Not being addicted to hard 

 work he wished to make some money in 

 the easiest possible way. The idea occur- 

 red to him that if he would start a hen- 

 nery, the hens could lay the eggs, the 

 children could gather them and he would 

 exert himself enough to market them. 

 After he had secured some hens it dawned 

 on his bright intellect that he had not taken 

 into consideration the question of food for 

 the fowls. If he had to buy that it would 

 make great inroads on the gross profits 

 of the business. He therefore bought a 

 small batch of second rate wheat, went to 

 a sawmill near, and gathered a sack of 

 sawdust, which he toted home. He then 

 began feeding the fowls a mixture of wheat 

 and sawdust, at first putting in but a small 

 portion of the cheaper commodity, but each 

 day decreasing the quantity of wheat and 

 increasing the quantity of sawdust until 

 finally the wheat was abandoned entirely 

 and those overworked hens had a regular 

 diet of sawdust 3 times a day. Strange to 

 relate they seemed to thrive amazingly. 



About the time he had taught the hens 

 to live exclusively on sawdust, he realized 

 that he could make more money by incu- 

 bating the eggs and marketing broilers. 

 Accordingly as soon as he could persuade 

 one of the hens to set he put 13 eggs under 

 her. He then awaited the process of incuba- 

 tion, which though slow was sure of results. 



On the expiration of the requisite num- 

 ber of days, he repaired to the smokehouse, 

 where he had installed mother hen, and 

 yanking her off the nest discovered that 

 she had performed her part well. The 

 eggs had hatched out 2 clothespins, 9 cro- 

 quet balls and one' jumping jack. 



E. M. Dorsey, Alton, 111. 



"Pop," said Farmer Korntop's boy insin- 

 uatingly, as he leaned on his hoe, "Tommy 

 Perkins says the fish are bitin' right lively 

 up the creek today." 



"Well," replied the old man, "you tell 

 him if he'll come over here an* help you 

 with yer hoein' " 



"Yes, sir." 



"They won't git a chanst to bite him." — 

 Philadelphia Press. 



An old man was troubled with gout, and 

 a cheap wine merchant sent him some 

 sherry which he warranted as a specific. 

 Some time after, the dealer received this 

 acknowledgment : "Sir, I have tasted your 

 wine, and I prefer the gout." — Exchange. 



