The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1898-12-13

Liza j ~
The practice j. not modern but EMS
ted even among Gods chosen people for
we find recorded by the great lav-1iycI
the regulation you shall 30 10 upright
cousness in judgment, yard. weight ar
in measures; just balances. Il Just cphah.
and a just hin shall We have.
The methods of testing for aduIfera-
ton While far from perfect ut the pres
cnt day are in advance of those of the
sixteenth century III England where tho
ale testers among other things were
instructed to pour Il little ale on the
bench and sit Oh il and if their leather
DIeecleS stuck to the bench the pres
Gee Of added sugar was definitely proven.
With the chemical balance and the mi
croScope. II IS perhaps true now that
no harmful adulteratiOn can be added in
dangerous quantities which may not be
detected. The most advanced and re-
cent national legislation proposed is en-
bodied III the Faulkner-Brosius bill
which has the endorsement Of twenty
one national organizations and eighty
seven State. and local. commercial. scitn-
the, agricultural and manufacturing or
CARNATIONS together With that of the rep
reSentativeS of seven of the great de-
~partnents of our Government and of
t~Wenty-four States and the District of
Columbia. 1t is interesting to us to
know that this is an outgroWth of n
bill introduced in the Forty Eighth Con-
gress by the Hon. Wharton j. Green,
Of North Carolina. which secured for the
first time national legislation in the in
tercst of pure food.
The Investigation. as to the extent
of the adulteration of food articles in
North Carolina was begun by the Elk
pertinent Station during the present
year.
Ei@hty-four per cent Of the samples
OF cider vinegar were found adulterated.
or untrue to name. being mostly spirit
vinegar.
EiShty-seycn per cent Of the samples
of baking powders were found to con
tain alum, which is injurious to the
health, some even contained practically
40 available carbonic acid and could not
be Of any value in causing
bread to rise.
thirty per cent Of the samples Of
coffee examined were found adul-
terated with broken grains. were faced
OF glazed III excessive quantities. In
all the others but one. were also
glazed but in small amounts.
l'orty-four per cen Of the samples OF
ca were found faced in small quantities.
This facing. while in small quantities. is
IF no effect except to make the lower
Grades appear better. and il is therefore
o be condemned.
Sixty samples Of sugar were examined
DGt no adulteration was found in any
sample.
sixteen per cent Of tho samples of
Jour were found to contain corr lour
md one sample had alum also. No
mineral adulterant was found
resent. but = sample OF micrllie was
which is prepared in North
aroma FOR the purpose OF adulterating
lour.
FIFTY per cent of the canned vegeta-
YES were found TO contain lead. copper
/ saIcylic acid. which substances III
arge quantities are harmful.
No spoiled meats were found among ,
he canned meats. but at present ONLY +,
few samples have been secured. :
Including sugar and canned meats
Inch were not found adulterated. the {
verage found in North Carolina was
early forty per cent. =
These samples with a few executions !
ere purchased in the open market in :.
Re cities of Raleigh, Wilmington, Char 7
ute. Statesvillc. Henderson and Dur
and may be taken therefore as /
of what would be OBJ T
'lned by an ordinary purchaser. In
lch class Of food we found that the /
Wer grades are much more liable to Y
lulteratlon while the higher grades are
'actlcally free from adultcratiOn. The &
Dor man who is least able to do so. is +
ompelled to suffer most.
1t IS impossible to more than approx G
ate the loss from adultcrat1on, but if \
G suppose that one article in every
vcnty is adulterated. which is about Z
le-eighth of what was actually found 7:
the samples tested and these to the
tent of one-fifth of their bulk. then the Y
IS Will be exactly one per cent. or orc u
lndredth of the total cost Of the food.
cost of food per capita varies very C
UGH but il we take FIVE dollars per Z
as about the average. then the
d 4 half people Of North Carolina II
be about one hundred million
liars. One hundredth Of the amount II
one million dollars Will probably rep y.
sent the annual loss to the State from
alteration. r,
for the control of the sale of L.
DDS exist in other States. Why should
t North Carolina establish Il Food L
fl
w. \. WiTHERS. SIX
Director Experiment Station. N: