176 PROCEEDINGS OF TWENTY-SIXTH FRUIT- GROWERS' CONVENTION. 



American shippers was called to this condition of affairs and to the abso- 

 lute necessity of abstaining from the use of sulphur. Persistence in this 

 practice will undoubtedly result in the entire exclusion of such fruits 

 from Germany. Probably, though, in this country, the practice will not 

 decrease while the demand for "the finest appearing" fruit exceeds that 

 for the more wholesome. But while the bleaching of thoroughly ripe 

 fruit is to be deprecated in the strongest terms, still such methods sink 

 into insignificance when compared to those adopted by unscrupulous 

 persons who sulphuj, and heavily too, unripe, immature apples and 

 pears so as to render them, under our present system, marketable. 

 Desiccated vegetables have been bleached to such an extent that acid can 

 be tasted when the material is moistened. 



One of the most efficacious food preservatives is formalin (H2CO) or 

 formaldehyde, discovered in 1867 by Von Hoffman. Its antiseptic 

 properties were not discovered until 1888-1890. This agent is more 

 effective than boracic acid, borax, salicylic or benzoic acids. It is a 

 germicide, preventing putrefaction, and kills all ferments. One table- 

 spoonful to one quart equals one per cent solution. As further evidence 

 of the power of this agent, it might be said that " the behavior," in the 

 Babcock test, of milk which had been preserved by formalin, shows that 

 its composition is in some way affected. Ordinarily, the curd of milk is 

 dissolved by the sulphuric acid that is used in the test. Where formalin 

 is present the curd often fails to dissolve, and becomes a compact mass. 

 If the preservative can so alter milk that H2SO4 may fail to dissolve 

 the curd, it is not the least likely that the action of the digestive juices 

 may be rendered less effective. Formalin itself is volatile, and hence 

 some say that if the foods preserved with this antiseptic are cooked 

 formalin will be volatilized. True enough; but what about the ingre- 

 dients that have been acted on? It is claimed that even gelatin exposed 

 to formalin vapors is rendered insoluble, even in hot water or in alkaline 

 solutions. 



If, however, in the light of the facts just set forth, a person should 

 wish to preserve foods by means of formalin, he should buy it as such, 

 for about sixty cents per pound, and not purchase a solution called 

 callerine. This preparation, put up in Philadelphia, was put on the 

 market with labels setting forth its properties, which were identical 

 with those attributed to formalin. Among the directions were: For 

 milk, one ounce (two tablespoons) callerine to fourteen gallons of milk, 

 will keep it at a temperature of 75^ F.; for longer period, use more 

 callerine. A solution of two ounces of callerine to one quart of water 

 will be an efficient wash for preserving meat, poultry, game, fish, 

 vegetables, etc. Price, $6 per gallon, or $1.25 per pound for a working 

 sample. 



