The Detroit times., 1908-11-05
SOME THINGS FOR THE
E. HOUSEWIFE TO REMEMBER


Enforcement OF the pure food law
Is now a very great protection Tor
housekee pers against dishonest prac-
tees by tradesmen. Still II Is best
for every one who has occasion TO go
to market TO be able To further mini
mize the chance OF being imposed
upon.
1t is the woman who beats down
prices and wants everything as cheap
as possible who gets adulterated
goods at times. And serve her right.
III she wants things cheap and bac, ~
is tight she should have them. Only,
as rule, she wants things cheap, but
at the same time. good.
Many things are both cheap and
good But other things are not. lf
one wants good tea, II Is right to pay
fair price, that Is, IL the article IL
of fine quality enough. The woman
who wants cheap tea gets It, But the
tea In the gaudily packet IL
apt to be very small In amount. Sho
may get willow leaves, rose leaves.
many common leaves OF all kinds. SO
long as they are well pointed and with
serrated edges.
Only just enough tea oftentimes is
put with these to give favor.
Some brands are scented with tea
essence and contain next to no tea.
The infusion when made Is full or
sticks, always a sign OF poor tea. Add
TO this blacklead to give dark color,
sometimes a definite amount OF red
or yellow ochre to produce reddish
or yellow hue in the drawn tea, with
small pieces OF iron filings or OF lead
to give weight, and this is the quality
OF a good deal OF cheap tea. The tiny
atoms of lead or iron are rolled In
gum so that they stick to the leaves
and cannot be detected. The loaded
paper is as heavy as possible, and the
whole cheap packet may be a fraud
Very cheap coffee may be nine
tenths chcory, a cheap enough root
Roasted peas and beans mixed WIZ
the coffee berries when these are
bought whole cannot be detected. the
color is the same. and the pieces are
stamped out to initiate coffee beans.
II these are awkward to detect when
the berries are bought whole and
ready.roasted, II Is quite Impossible ia
| find them out in the crushed coffee.
The cheapest kind Is mixed with burnt
bread, and this can be found out In
the grounds. A little strong coree Is
mixed with the spurious stuff to give
| flavor. Acorns are used also.
The woman who gives righteous
price for her tea and coffee never gets
served with stuff like this. Neither
will she get Il In "A respectable shop.
The cheap shops that give away pres
ents with pounds OF goods are some
of the sinners. The packets are cum
ningly marked so that they account
for mixtures. And 1t Is the very poor.
who can least afford to be imposed
upon. who fall the readiest victims,
albeit many poor women are veritable
adepts I'm marketing and bargaining
Sandy sugar may be rare. but dirty
sugar is not; this Is the cheapest stun
again. All sugar sweepings are
gathered together and sold at price
below the market price for ordinary
sugar II IL not good policy 10 buy 1t,
either for cooking or for any other
purpose.
Flour, instead OF being all wheaton,
may be mixed with the much cheaper
corr hour, OF Will OthtI 'ti'diS'
Sometimes it Is kept in a damp place,
and then II weighs more heavily.
Butter may contain so much water
that an unwary marketer may pay q
quarter OF its price for water Itself
Fancy paying butter-price for water!
Again. when an interruptions trades
man il sure OF his customer, he may
mix margarine with the salt butter
and sell. this at the higher rate.
Eggs may be new-laid. fresh, store
ar crate. Each OF these terms indi
Gates a different degree OF freshness
and OF price. Stale eggs float on wate'
and fresh ones sink. In breaking shoI
eggs. Il Is wise To- crack each into q
Gun for fear OF a bad one. or Who'll,
batch OF good material may have &c
be thrown away.
Ginger is sometimes mixed With
pea flour or ground rice. the latter us
ually. Fine starch Is mixed with pep
per. and -four II put In mustard. which
is artifcialy colored.
The colCr In green bottled veg
etables, especially peas, Is sometimes
due To a salt OF copper. Jams. espe
cially when no brand or makers name
appears on the pot, may be half veg