The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1902-08-05
NEWS OF THE FARMING WORLD.
Our Washington COrrespOnGentsRepOrt Sew.
eral Matters Of Importance.

The hrSt numbers OF the Yearbook
of the Department of Agriculture of
1901 have just been distributed. The
Yearbook is a little smaller in size
than last years, but the number of ar
ticles it contains and the illustrations
are greater. In accordance with the
views of Secretary Wilson the original
articles are fully representative of
the work conducted by the Depart
ment.
NEW DISCOVERY THAT MAY MEAN
MUCH TO DAIRYMEN.
By a singular coincidence, Consul
Robert S. S. Bergh at Gothenberg,
Sweden, makes a report on a milk
-four of which DIR. M. Ekenberg be-
lieves himself to be the original in
ventor, while the Scientific American
in an illustrated article calls attention
to the invention of DR.. Joseph II.
Campbell of Pennsylvania, for a sim
liar article. DR.. Campbell's idea, how
ever, seems to be about three years in
advance of Dr. Ekenberg. The officials
of the Department of Agriculture, as
stated in previous correspondence,
have known of milk -four for some
time, but this nevertheless does not de-
tract from the excellent uses to which
such an article can be placed.
The development of the dairy inter
ests of this country has reached enor-
nous proportions; the butter industry
is largely eing concentrated at the
creameries and in many cases skim
milk has been a waste product, often
being thrown away. With the cheap
utilization of the skim milk so as to
recover the non-fatty solids in dry,
soluble, sterilized condition, the pow
der product at half the price of but
ter per pound would yield but four
punds of butter to the hundred
pounds of milk, while the non-fatty
solids would furnish nine and a half
pounds of milk -four.
The proper office of powdered milk
is not so much to act as a food by it
self, but as a means of cheaply fur
nishing other foods with the proteids
in which they are deficient, and thus
restoring the balance which is essen
tial to health. To bakers it is of spe-
cial advantage as the losses in the
handling of fresh milk around the
bakery are very great. Much is con-
sumed by the men handling it, great
deal is wasted and considerable is
spoiled by being improperly cared for.
The question of securing a cheap
milk powder is one fraught with grea:
possibilities. Skim milk is highly
nutritious food. 1t contains all the
nitrOgenous or muscle producing pro-
perties of whole milk, with simply the
! fat eliminated.
ARE FOOD PREsERvATIvEs AND COLOR
ING MATTER INJURIOUS?
Under the direction of DR.. Fl. w.
Wiley, Chief of the Bureau of Chem
istry, of the Department of Agricul-
ture, experiments are about to be com
menced to determine whether the for
eign substance added to food products
in the nature of coloring matter or
preservatives are detrimental to the
health of man. This is in accordance
with an appropriation made by Con-
gress last session of $4,000 for this
work.
In carrying on these experiments,
DIR. Wiley will establish a free board
for a number of able-bodied men for
the purpose of ascertaining the effect
on them. These young men of course
will be supposed to pledge their word
not to eat anything but what the De
partment will give them. At first they
will be given regular meals of ordinary
foods in order to get them into proper
condition for the experiments and then
tests will be conducted with known
preservatives, such as borax and other
chemicals, and various coIoring sub
stances.
''The sole object of these expert
ments," said DR.. Wiley, "is to get at
the truth; there will be no bias in
favor of or against any preservative
or manufacturer or any particular line
of goods. The best skill which phys
biological chemistry can supply, will be
brought to bear upon these investiga-
tions, and it is the intention to con-