Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-09-02
THE NATIONAL CAPITAL.
AGRICULTURAL CHEMISTS.

Annual Convention ia wnshsnxtou Address
a' The Comn,,sisnes OF AarieaIiufc-iIs
Discusses the Cne>tion of Adu,iersssos.
lBy telegraph to the Diwatch.l
WAsHINGTos, September 1.-The
Association Of Official Agricultural
Chemists met in annual convention at
the Department Of Agriculture to-day
Vice-President Professor II. G. White,
oil Georgia, in the chair. Among
those present were Professor j. S.
Gladding, New York; DR.. Il. ii.
Jenkin, Connecticut; DIR. c. w. Dab
ney, North Carolina !; DR.. j. w. Gas
coyne, Virginia Professor w. C.
Stubs, Alabama; Professor p. II.
Chazal, South Carolina; Professor II.
A. Houston, Indiana Professor
Moses, Tennessee DR.. II. W.
Wiley and Mr.. Richardson, this
city, and A. dc Ghequier, repre-
sentative Of the National Fertilizers
Association. Mr.. Colmsn. Commits
sioner of Agriculture, delivered an adj
dress in which, after declaring his en-
the sympathy aud that Of the farmers
OF the country in the object Of the As
ISOLATION, which is to secure uniform
method Of analysis of fertilizers. he ex-
pressed the hope that the Association
would extend its deliberations to
methods Of chemical analysis. He
thought the Association should also
Tx the standards Of purity for different
kinds Of food and establish methods
for the detection Of authorizations. He
thought the General Government ought
10 cooperate with the respective State
governments in passing the most
stringent laws against the adulteration
Of foods.
Upon this point he said In so sim
pie matter as the adulteration Of milk
it would be hard to secure conviction
in court Of justice for any person
practicing it, because Of the absence of
any official standard by means of
which the extent of the adulteration
could be measured. 1t should not only
be the object of chemical control of
agriculture that abundant crops
should be produced, but also to see
that the products of the fields
should be delivered to consumers
free Of any cheap or deleterious adul-
teration. In the question Of food adul-
teration / have long been greatly in
terested, and am anxious that some
steps may be taken by means Of which
the extent of it may be diminished. |
have already directed the chemist OF this
department to give attention to the
adulteration of foods. The frauds that
are practiced upon the public in adding
cheap and frequently harmful ingre-
dents to the food we eat in order to
make greater profits ought to beexposed
in no uncertain way, and the perpetra-
tors of them held up before the
public as objects Of scorn and detesta-
ton. 1t seems to me that the men,
bers of this body in their respective
States could do useful and highly APP
preciatiye work in this direction by ex-
posing the frauds that are practiced in
adulterating the very nccessaries Of life.
The purchasers Of food need protection
as well as the purchasers of fertilizers.
| will 60 further, and say | think the
General Government ought to cooperate
with the respective State governments
in passing the most stringent laws and
in using the most energetic means to pun
ish those who are eDgagedin adulterating
our foods or selling them after they have
been adulterated. To such an extent
is the adulteration of butter and the
manufacture Of counterfeit article
carried that the great dairy interests Of
our nation are now almost PROSTATE.
The honest producer Of the pure article
is impoverished, while the manufac-
tuIers OF and dealers in the fraudu-
lent article are enriched; some Of
them having become millionaires by
this illegitimate work. The same
may be said in relation to the adultera-
tion OF our sugars and syrups. Indeed,
it is almost absolutely impossible to
get pure article of syrups in any mar
ket. The honest manufacturer stands
no chance beside the INSCRIPTIONS one.
Many an honest producer has become
bankrupt in trying to keep up with his
INSCRIPTIONS competitor. The road
to riches seems to be not in the path of
honesty, but in the great highway Of
rascality.
At the conclusion Of Mr.. Colman's
address reports Of the committee APP
pointed at the last meeting of the AS
ISOLATION upon the best methods Of de-
termining phosphoric acid and potash
in fertilizers were read and debated.
Professor T. 5. Gladding read pa
per on each Of the subjects.