April 2, 1900.] 
Supplement to the " Tropical Agriculturist." 
721 
shown that a serious outbreak of illness, by which 
five out of the seven inmates of a house were 
suddenly attacked, was due to a repeated addition 
of a preservative containing boric acid. Milk was 
at once suspected, being not only taken by itself, 
but also with tea and in a blanc-mange. It was 
found that the cook added preservative to the 
milk, which already contained boric acid when 
delivered by the dairyman. The result was that, 
by using the preservative twice, over-doses of 
boric acid had been adrainistered. The remainder 
of the blanc-mange was given to nine fowls, of 
which five died ; the rest suffered badly, but reco- 
vered. Dr. Eobinson states that the addition of the 
drug should be regarded as an injurious adultera- 
tion. If such results, he says, can be produced in 
the case of adults, it is not unreasonable to pre- 
sume that infants cannot take with impunity 
long-continued doses in their staple food. The 
opinion is general among physiologists that all 
reservatives, when effectual, either from their 
nature or quantity, in so injuring the micro- 
organisms which bring about fermentation or 
putrefaction of food as to inhibit their action, 
also injure those persons who consume such food. 
If a preservative substance can so influence the 
proto-plasmic intergrity of bacteria and other 
low forms of life as well ns of the higher forms 
like ordinary plants, it is difficult to conceive that 
the same basis of life-tissues in animals, especially 
that of the mucous membrane of the alimen- 
tary cnmil, should not also, he be injuriously 
affected, to say nothing of those beneficial bac- 
teria concerned in the digestive processes. In 
1897, a " Lancet Special Sanitary Commission on 
the use of Antiseptics in Food " was appointed, 
and consulted eminent members of the medical 
profession, as, for instance. Sir Benjamin "W. 
Eichardson, Sir Henry Thompson, Dr. Lauder 
Brunton, Dr. Pavy, Dr. F. J. Allen, and others on 
the subject. In spite of a great difference of 
views expressed by the various authorities, they 
all agree in stating that the antiseptics taken 
continuously in food, in suificient qantity, are 
injurious to health, and they all iiisist that the 
name and the quantity of the antiseptic used 
should be stated on a label attached to the article 
when sold. Some of the medical men demand a 
restriction on the amounts of preservatives used ; 
others again wish for a complete prohibition of 
the use of antiseptics. By the laws of Germany, 
France, Belgium Switzerland, Italy, and most other 
countries, the addition of preservatives to goods 
is absolutely forbidden. In England, although 
an Adulteration Act has been in existence for a 
long time, no direct action to prevent the use of 
antiseptics has been taken ; and only recently, since 
1898, numerous convictions have been obtained 
for the addition of boric acid to milk and butter 
at a great many places. 
The National Provisioner, Chicago, 4th, llth, 
and 18th February, reopens the question under 
the heading, " Is Boracic Acid Deadly ?" and 
numerous evidence is given to show that the 
drug is not deadly, which no one hitherto had tried 
to prove. But nothing new is brought forth, and 
some of the statements, as, for instance, that 
10,000,000 lb. of cured meat treated with borax 
are eaten annually in Germany, and over 
100,000,000 lb. in England, have to be taken with 
more than the proverbial grain of salt, considering 
that the adulteration law is carried out so very 
strictly in Germany. 
The conclusions to be drawn from the foregoing 
remarks are very simple. Sooner or later the use 
of boracic acid (although it is not a deadly poison) 
as a preservative will be everywhere greatly 
restricted, if not entirely prohibited. There is 
not the slighest doubt that milk, butter, meat, 
fish, &c., can be preserved without the use of 
drugs. Cold storage is the simplest modern 
method of preservation of foods, and is ajiplicablei 
with equal advantage on a small or on a large 
scale. If, with cold storage as preservative, a 
previous scrupulous care as to cleanlii ess, inspec- 
tion of meat and dairies, modern processes, such 
as pasteurization, &c., go hand in hand, our 
products such as meat, butter, and other foods 
can compete successfully with the products of 
other nations in the world's market. 
o- 
GENERAL ITEMS. 
Too much care cannot be exercised in taking up 
a young tree for the purpose of transplantation. 
If it be taken up roughly many of the young 
feeding roots will be destroyed, and witliout these 
the necessary amount of sap cannot be supplied 
to the branches and buds, yet the tree will con- 
tinue to evaporate a large amount of water. The 
consequence of this evaporation and failure of 
supply is that the tree will often fail, or fwill 
remain for a long time a sickly, struggling object, 
unless assistance is given by removing sufficient 
branches and buds to compenstate for the loss 
of roots. In any case, the damaged roots 
should be cut off clean with a sharp knife. 
In taking up the young tree, first remove 
all the surface soil down to the root system. 
Then dig a trench round it at some distance from, 
the extremities of the roots. If the weather be 
dry, it is a good plan to water the roots copiously, 
to cause the soil to adhere. Then, with a sharp 
spade, cut under the roots and loosen the boll of 
earth from that below. The tree may then be 
safely removed, the tender roots having received 
very little damage: and if it be carefully replanted, 
success will be almost assured. In the latter 
process, the roots should be spread out evenly 
on a loose bed, and the soil pressed firmly upon all 
the fibres, thus excluding air as much as possible. 
The depth at which the young tree is planted 
will depend upon the nature of the soil in the 
new location. If the latter is of the same quality 
as that from which the tree was taken, then the 
depth should be the same ; but if the soil is 
heavier than the former, then the plant should be 
set shallower in the ground ; and on the other 
hand, if lighter, then it should be planted deeper. 
On finally filling in the hole, the surface soil 
shold be fine and light, because moisture can then 
not escape by capillarity. 
Tomato diseases have become very common of 
late years, and it therefore Ijehoves every grower 
of this popular fruit to be able to recognise the 
early symptoms of various troubles, so that 
