The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1919-10-17
GROWERS ARE ADVISED
TO WIPE THEIR APPLES
Congressman John w. Summers
Sends Detailed Statement
of Difficulty

mers regarding the recent trouble
when northwest apples were con-
demned by the Boston health author
tiles, says an article in the Yakima
Republic. Mr.. Sawyer believes that
the information contained in the let
ter is of great Importance to every
grower in the valley.
In his letter Mr.. Summers says:
at occurs to me on second thot
that you might desire some further
information in regard to the apples
and pears being condemned by city
and federal authorities in Boston, as
indicated to you in my recent wire.
"a fruit dealer in Boston observed
very considerable amount of whit
ish deposit on some pears which he
had bought and thinking it must be
something serious took it to the au-
thorities for examination. In this
way they began to make inspections
and examinations of various lots that
were coming in from day to day, the
result being that one entire carload
of pears from California was con-
demned and destroyed, and such guam
titles as ten boxes, IS boxes, II boxes,
20 boxes and 225 boxes from other
cars were condemned. This included
some shipments from Cashmere and
Yakima, Washington. Later there
came a carload of Jonathans which
were being held at the time of the
conference which I attended in the
agricultural department here two
days ago.
at seems that the city and federal
authorities in Boston were cooperat-
ing and that after removing all spray
material from single pear, analyz-
ing the residue, they found as much
as 1-12th grain of arsenic, which is
two and one-half times an average
dose of arsenic. From other pears
and apples they took 1-20th of
grain, 1-32nd, 1-48th, 1-72nd and
1-20th.
81 brought out the fact at the hear
ing that the fruit growers are using
the same spray and the same strength
that DR.. Taylor of the department of
agriculture admitted that he had been
advocating the past 20 years.
81 also inquired of the entire confer
ence, which consisted of the city
health officer of Boston, commission
merchant from Boston, another from
Pittsburg, several dealers from other
places, six or eight representatives
from various sections of the depart
ment of agriculture, as well as Rep
resentative johnson of Washington,
two or three congressman and sena-
tors from Oregon, whether any of
them could cite a single instance of
acute or chronic arsenical poisoning
occurring at any place in the United
States during the past 20 years that
the arsenate of lead spray has been
in use.
"They all had to admit that they
knew of no such instance, altho the
city health officer of Boston said that
the newspapers had reported two such
instances in Massachusetts. l further
pointed out that the men, women and
children who live in the orchards and
eat raw fruit direct from the trees
and packing sheds from moring until
night over a period of several weeks,
or months, would undoubtedly suffer
first if there was any real danger.
Nevertheless, DR.. Alsberg, chief
of the bureau of chemistry, and the
city health officer of Boston, insisted
that there was an excessive amount
of arsenic found in the spray deposits
on the fruit that was being offered
for sale. He had us understand that
he was going to give the same pro-
lection to all parts of the United
States that he gave to the City of
Boston, and so, since there are some
4S federal inspectors at large in the
United States, you can see the great
danger of a shipment of our fruit be-
ing held up at any city in the United
States at any time.
"The fact that we are complying
with the recommendations of another
head in the same department will be
of no avail, so was bound to con-
clude that the only safe thing was
to advise shippers in my district that
they had better remove the excessive
spray deposits from the fruit before
it is packed rather than take chances
of that fruit being condemned after it
reaches an eastern market.
81 want to have you distinctly I'M
derstand that it is only the occasional
shipment which seems to carry an
excessive amount of spray deposit
which is being held. The department
of chemistry insists that under the
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