The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-09-20
THINGS THAT ENGLAND EATS

I doubt IL il has anything on our
Rocky FOrds ON all sides Of England
the waters abound in shelled and finny
creatures. but there is nothing to equal
the American oyster and lobster. The
sole and turbot make up for this def
cheney, perhaps. and England ls the
home OF whitehall. 1t Is said of Eng
lish cookery that all that is good IL
Odd and all that Is new Is bad" March
pane. so often spoken Ot by ChauCcr
and Elizabethan dramatists. is still
made as in olden times Of plstaChio nuts.
almonds and sugar. EleCampane. an
other Old sweetmeat. has not entirely
disappeared and many delightful swee =
meats have been handed down from
tue ancient ceremonial dinners. Thece
ara many varieties Of tellies. custards.
puddlngs. ices, tarts and pies, and many
at them, a. the mince pies, are made
from the same recipes and in the same
pans that were used 800 years ago.
But England is by no means a gour.
NETS paradise. The national problem Is
one OF quantity. not quality. SO the
R'tisher displays his hospitality rather
by Overlooking his table The nation
welcomes any means to get an ample
supply Of foods and make 1t keep as
long as possible. Therefore. We find
chemical personalities used freely.
Borlc acid is permitted In cream and
boron compounds are in general use
An equipment OF many hotels and res
taurants IL the "formaldehyde safe" In
which the foods on hooks and shelves
are treated to the fumes Of the embalm-
ing mud. Milk IL subjected 70 the vapor
by being allowed to pass through
sieve in the safe. Many formalin solu-
lions or sprays are applied to fresh
meats, In London recently my atten-
tion was called to a trade circular adver
Using chemical preventative which
arrested decay" was mon poisonous
and non acid" and of greatest impor-
lance to poulterers and dealers in per-
ishable articles ~ food" The advertise.
ment contained a testimonial from a
provision merchant stating:
1T Is only right that you should
know that the treatment you gave my
bacon and cheese, which were pre-
Niously UNIT for food, are now salabe
articles. Therefore you can supply me
with quantity convenience for my
use"
] could not help wondering what our
DR., Wiley would say to such things
In the United Kingdom there are no
definite regulations regarding the use
OF preservatives in food. but the amount
and nature of the p"eservative are af-
fected by the recommendations Of the
departmental committee appointed by
the Board OF Agriculture and Fisheries
since the war began the recommends
tions are exceedingly liberal.
In the tight little island with its
millions of consumers and few producers
there Ia more excuse for the use OF
preservatives, we must admit, than in
the United States England must de-
pend ON the outside world for three
fourths Of her food supply, She spends
about one and a half billion dollars
year for food, Of which s240, 000, 900 Is
for meat and S43O, 900 900 for grain and
-four.
London with its environs has a popu-
latiOn of nine millions, all receiving
their sustenance through the London
markets and producing no food at all
Not in history is there another situation
like thiS-suCh a vast assemblage of
people huddled together in such a small
area on an island and all dependent for
their food on outside sources II Lon
don should be bcslcged. as was Paris In
1871. famine would set in Immediately
This mighty swarm Of people consumes
each day five million loaves Of bread
four thousand tons OF potatoes, $50. 900