Analyses of Imported Agricultural Produce. 233 



the provisions ' of Sections 14 and 33 (5) of the Railway and 

 Canal Traffic Acts, 1873 and 1888, respectively, railway 

 companies which carry merchandise partly by land and partly 

 by sea, are bound to specify in the rate books kept at the ports 

 in the United Kingdom which they use the proportion of any 

 through rate appropriated to conveyance by sea, and that these 

 books can be inspected by any person during all reasonable 

 hours without the payment of a fee.' 



" The Board are further informed that the Board of Trade 

 have no knowledge of the existence of any agreements between 

 the railway and canal companies whereby the latter are bound 

 to maintain their charges for the carriage of produce at what 

 is practically a non-competitive level as compared with the 

 railway rates. 



" I am to add that the Board have no objection to your 

 giving such publicity to this letter as you may consider 

 desirable. 



" I am, Sir, 



" Your obedient servant, 

 " (Signed.) T. H. ELLIOTT, 



" Secretary." 



Analyses of Imported Agricultural Produce. 



The Annual Report of the Principal Chemist of the 

 Government Laboratory for the year ending March 31st, 1902, 

 indicates that 2,454 samples were analysed during the year 

 on behalf of the Board of Agriculture. This total in- 

 cluded 1,703 analyses of imported butter, 232 of imported 

 cheese, 13 of imported fresh milk, 91 of imported condensed 

 milk, and 14 of imported cream, besides one analysis of a feeding 

 stuff and two of manure and blood. None of the samples of 

 imported butter were found to be adulterated, but 619 contained 

 boric preservative, and 307 were artificially coloured. 



The samples of cheese examined did not include any of 

 margarine cheese. The amount of fat, however, in several 

 instances was very small, falling as low as ro per cent, in one 

 .sample and 2*3 per cent, in another. 



