The Republican journal., 1901-10-03
MAINE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT
STATION.

The best laws are those which operate
so quietly that the public is likely to
doubt their necessity or even to forget
their existence. It is only occasionally
that an open and conspicuous violation
of our statutes calls for their full and
prompt enforcement and satisfactorily
demonstrates their effectiveness.
Since the enactment of the law regu-
lating the sale of concentrated COM
mercial feeding stuffs it has occasion
ally, but Increasingly, been said that
the law is of no value. In the publica-
lions of the Station the opposite of this
position has been taken and evidence
has from time to time been submitted
to prove the value of the law and the
wisdom of the legislature that enacted
it. A recent instance of its working,
in ways not generally appreciated, is OF
interest and Importance since 1t indi-
Gates also a desire on the part of the
large handlers of feeding stuffs to con-
form to the law and to give their Gus
toners high grade goods.
1t has been many months since the
Station has received sample of low
A"No OOOVOL oCCu aCnl, O1OhOA AAOlA
correspondents or through its inspec-
tors; but week ago a sample of bright
cotton seed meal of good color and
mechanical condition was received from
one of the largest jobbing houses in
the State with the request that it be
analysed. Accordingly the protein and
fat were determined and the following
letter written:
"The sample of cotton seed meal
which you sent us carries 22.44 per cent.
protein and GAS per cent. fat. There is
apparently some coloring matter added
to conceal the cotton hulls which are
ground with the sample. After ex-
extracting with ether, which we do in
estimating the fat, the meal instead of
being yellow, like the original sample,
is nearly black.
This is the poorest cotton seed that
we have seen in this State for good
many months. l trust that you are
not intending to offer it for sale at any
price. | should be pleased to know the
| history of the sample. There is no
charge for the analysis
The reply received was as follows:
'Yours of Sept 18th received. The
cotton seed meal was sent to us by a
New York party who wished us to
handle the product of the mill. We
requested them the first thing we did, to
send us the analysis of it which they
failed to do, but they still kept trying
to make arrangements with us to handle
their meal. We at last requested them
to send us a large sample, which we
| Immediately sent you for analysis and
now that we have found it so poor, we
certainly shall not handle any Of it,
and shall make sure that none of our
competitors do.
We do not handle any meal that runs
less than 43 per cent. protein, and we
intend to, and try to buy all the meal
that we can that contains higher per
cent
The law has resulted in the education
of the dealer so that he has knowledge
of the feeding value of the goods he
handles. While as whole, feed dealers
have always been anxious to give full
value in the goods they sell, the feeding
stuffs law enables them to know the
quality of the materials they handle,
not only from their appearance but
from their chemical composition.
AS soon as the winter stock of feed
ing stuffs are in the market, the Station
representatives will draw samples for
analysis. The results cannot be pub
lished and ready for distribution until
January or February. In the mean
time if the feeders desire to know the
quality of the goods they are using, or
dealers what they are selling, two
ounce sample sent to the Station per
ferably in tin or glass will be prompt
ly analysed and the results reported to
the correspondent without cost to the
sender. Such cooperation will material
i ly add to the effectiveness of the law.
CHARLES ID. WOODS,
Director.
Orono, Sept "A, 1901.