Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-07-15
TABLE CELERY FOUND TO CON.
TAIN SLIGHT AMOUNT OF
COPPER.
PRESENCE FOUND DUE
TO IMPROPER SPRAYING
Attributed TO Use Of Bordeaux Mixture
On Celery Plants, Which 10 ESSENTIAL
to culturs-Exeessivs Use Of Mix
ture Charged to Faulty Apparatus
and Use BY inexperienced Hands.
Especial Correspondence

! W aShington, July 15.--The depart
rnent OF agriculture, acting on the
icomp!aint OF DR.. w. C. Woodward.
bia. and the health officers of other
| states, has found by careful analysis
iles great deal of table celery which
| came to market during the last season
contained slight amounts of copper in
! the form of dried Bordeaux mixture
| Cline and copper sulphate), which
farmers have to use to spray celery
F, plants TO prevent the destruction OF
| th- crop by blight. Celery not sprayed
with Bordeaux mixture during its
growth, according to the government
specialists. is liable to reach the mar
ket il a state of partial decay.
The use of salts of copper in food
products was decided by the referee
board to be deleterious to health. IN
der food inspection decisions las and
l149 the Importation of canned fruits
aid canned vegetables greened with
copper has been stopped. This is paral-
lei 10 the laws of France, where the
use of copper vessels is forbidden in
packing food products.
Samples Of Celery Analysed.
The proof of the presence Of copper
in raw celery was obtained by analysis
of samples of celery offered for sale
in the markets of the District of Co
lumbia and other cities. Analysis Of
four different samples of celery showed
that before washing. the edible part
Of the outside stalks contained from 81
to 29.2 parts of copper million, or less
than 16 to y grain of copper per 2A
pounds of celery. The copper in the
inside or heart Of stalks was much
smaller in amount. and ranged from
3.3 to 1913 parts per million. In the
leaves OF the celery, however. which
are the parts OF the plant especially
sprayed with Bordeaux mixture. there
were found from 1876 to 1854 parts Of
copper. per million parts. The chem
lists found that most OF the copper In
the inner and outer stalks disappeared
on washing. After washing by hand
or with a brush, there was only from
3.9 to parts per million in the out
side stalks. and from IA to 3 parts per
million in the inside stalks or heart.
These quantities are infinitesimal, and
mean that person would have to eat
daily to reach the amount Of copper
which, If daily consumed, would, ac-
cordins to the experts. have any direct
effect IN the health.
EssentiaI to Celery Culture.
AS soon as the presence Of copper on
celery was determined, investigations
were at once begun to find it's source,
and to determine ways Of avoiding it.
The copper, It was found, resulted
from Improper methods Of using Bor-
deaux mixture on the part Of celery
growers. At the same time, It was
found that the use Of Bordeaux mix
ture. according to the Investigations of
the bureau Of plant industry. Is abso-
lutely essential to the growing Of cell
cry in many sections Of the country.
especially in Florida. The department,
however, found that the spraying APP
paratus used by many celery growers
does not operate q sufficiently high
pressure to make fine spray or mist.
AS result Of this faulty apparatus,
the Bordeaux mixture is applied in a
number Of fine streams instead Of a
mist. and these instead Of merely
settling on the leaves and killing the
insects, run down between the stalks
AS result. the mixture accumulates
ct the base of the plant. and is not
washed out by the rain. This some
tunes gives green appearance to cell
| cry, which causes many people ia
think the color results from Paris
green, whereas the green tint is simply
a copper stained lime.
The department of agriculture has
issued circular requesting that all
spraying of celery plants with Bor-
deaux mixture be done with errlclen,
apparatus working under high pres
sure, 100 pounds or more Spraying
should be stopped when the leaves are
covered with fine drops. and before
! these begin to run down the stalks and
accumulate in the base of the plant.
Warning to Consumers.
| The department of agriculture at the
same time has issued warning to
consumers to break punches Of celery
open and wash and scrub the stalks
thoroughly before they are eaten. II
also has warned the public against
eating the leaves Of celery upon which
the dried Bordeaux mixture. clings
according to the chemical experts who
made the analysis, q careful washing
OF celery would remove practically all
of the copper resulting from dried
Bordeaux mixture, or reduce the
amount present to such a small guam
tity as to be entirely negligible.