HOME AND FARM MAGAZINE SECTION
United States Department of Agriculture Special Page
Bulletins and Special Articles Issued by the Government, of Interest to the Northwest; .
Suggestions Covering a Wide Range of Activities; Results of Federal Investigations, Etc.
8
Authorities Breaking Up
Big Traffic in Bad Eggs
FEDERAL, state and city authori
ties are now actively co-operating
in Illinois to put an end to the illegal
traffic in rotten eggs. From evidence
already gathered, there seems to be
a definite market in Chicago for "rots
and spots" at $2.00 a case of 30 doz
en. In consequence, rots and spots
from all over the surrounding coun
try have been coming into Chicago In
large numbers.
In the past the delay necessary to
secure authorization from Washing
ton to make the seizures under the
Federal food and drugs act has
proved a serious handicap in break
ing up the traffic. With the co-operation
of the state authorities, how
ever, this delay is now largely obvi
ated. Under the detention section
of the state law governing this mat
ter, state inspectors are able to hold
suspicious shipments for examination
and further investigation.
The state authorities being on the
spot are able to act with great
promptness. In this way not only are
seizures made possible, but the nec
essary steps toward criminal prose
cution are also facilitated. One of
the firms in Chicago handling these
bad eggs has already been tried by a
state court and found guilty. Ship
ments of bad eggs e also being re
ported to the authorities in Chicago
by Federal, state and city inspectors
in order that these eggs may be
traced to their ultimate destination.
Although there is a certain demand
for inedible eggs for technical pur
poses, such as tanning leather, most
of the rots and spots that reach Chi
cago are first broken and frozen, and
then sold to bakers for use In cakes
and other forms of food. In one in
stance, at least, a shipment of these
eggs was traced to a firm which ad
mitted that they had no use for them
except in food.
As a matter of fact, Federal in
spectors have been able to secure
ample evidence of the use of unfit
eggs for this purpose. Before they
had the active co-operation of the
state authorities, however, it was dif
ficult to act with the promptness re
quired to obtain satisfactory results.
Now, with the state and Federal au
thorities working together, it is be
lieved the traffic can be broken up
very readily. In this connection it is
pointed out that most of the firms
using these unfit eggs probably do so
reluctantly, believing that the compe
tition of others forces them, into the
traffic. However, it has been amply
demonstrated by the Department that
the frozen and dried egg business is
a successful and Important industry
only when based on the use of good
eggs, handled under special condi
tions. Another Important result of the
work in Chicago it is hoped will be
to persuade other cities and states of
the necessity of assisting the Federal
Government in destroying the traffic
in bad eggs. That this can be done
has already been demonstrated in
Trenton, N. J., where 11 Indictments
have been found on the charge of
conspiracy In connection with this
business.
Such criminal prosecutions it Is be
lieved will do far more to put an end
to the traffic than any number of
seizures or fines. The profit In the
business is so great when conducted
on an extensive Bcale that the dealer
can well afford an occasional fine.
His rots and spots cost him so little
that when his goods are seized the
loss is insignificant, and In many
cases he has no reputation at all to
suffer from the consequent exposure.
In this connection the general In
formation which appeared In the
service and regulatory announce
ments of the Bureau of Chemistry,
Department of Agriculture, Issued Au
gust 25, 1914, concerning the de
naturing of food products not in
tended for food but intended for
technical purposes, will be of interest
to those who deal In certain food
products which consist In whole or In
part of decomposed material, such,
for example, as frozen or dried eggs
shipped in interstate commerce for
technical purposes If such products
are not denatured before shipment
seizures will be recommended in all
cases of interstate shipments of such
products. This course will be fol
lowed regardless of the labels under
which the products are sold.
No action will bo taken, however,
in the case of decomposed food prod
ucts which have been denatured In
stich a way as to prevent their use for
food purposes.
Tests Made With Treated
Nitrogenous Trade Wastes
THE fact that a number ot manu
facturers of fertilizers are now
using treated nitrogenous trade
wastes such as hair, fur, garbage and
other animal and vegetable matter as
bases for fertilizers has led the Bu
reau of Soils of the United States De
partment of Agriculture to investi
gate the effect of processing on these
substances.
These substances in their raw state
contain a certain amount of nitrogen,
but in a form which it Is difficult for
the bacteria of the soil to break up
and make fully available for plant
use. Hair and such substances are
especially resistant to the nitrogen
transforming or ammonifying bac
teria natural to the soils.
The manufacturers, therefore, have
been treating these raw products with
sulphuric acid, strong alkalis, or sim
ilar chemicals, with the idea of mak
ing these materials more readily
available for plant use.
Such treated fertilizing materials
have been tried out in the Depart
ment's laboratory and the results of
these processes have been recorded In
Department Bulletin No. 168, "The
Nitrogen of Processed Fertilizers'."
This bulletin, which is designed to
be helpful to fertilizer chemists, gives
in detail the various chemical
changes which take place In the ma
terials when treated by different pro
cesses! In general, the conclusion is that
treatment of nitrogenous trade wastes
transforms the material into a form
more easily attacked by the bacteria
in the soil and also renders certain
substances In it more directly avail
able for use by the plant.
Will Enforce Oregon's Seed Law
BEGINNING with the new year,
Oregon's pure seed law Is to be
actively enforced. When the
law first became nominally effective
the seed dealers of the state had al
ready bought their seed supplies for
1914 and it was felt by the Pure
Seed Board that it was only fair to
allow them an opportunity to exam
ine their stock, get rid of all that did
not come up to the standard of purity
set by the law, and have their houses
in order for the coming season.
In the meantime the State Dairy
and Food Commissioner, J. D. Mickle,
was authorized by the Pure Seed
Board, of which Professor H. D.
Scudder, who is in charge of the Col
lege seed-testing laboratory, Is chair
man, to carry on a campaign of edu
cation among the seedmen and farm
ers, acquainting them with the terms
of the law and the best manner of
complying with it. The Board met
in Portland on December 15 to con
sider the progress of this campaign
and to determine the best means of
carrying the law into effect. The
steps taken at this meeting are sum
marized by Professor Scudder as fol
lows: "The Board found that the Com
missioner, who is made by the seed
law responsible for its enforcement
and for all prosecutions for violation,
has been active in this campaign. He
has secured lists of dealers and sup
plied them with copies of the law,
fully explained.
Law Favorably Received.
"The law is very favorably received
by the three or four leading seed
houses that do the major share of
the business. These at once took
steps to comply with its provisions.
These large houses are rapidly get
ting their stocks In shape, since they
recognize the value of the law in put
ting their business on a high plane
of integrity and bringing them the
confidence ot farmers who want noth
ing but seed of standard purity and
germination quality. There are, how
ever, a great many small dealers
throughout the state, who have not
been reached by the office and are
not familiar with the law, Many of
these dealers handle seeds merely as
a side line of some larger business,
such as groceries, feed, mill products
and hardware, and ar? apparently un
aware that the law applies to them.
That It dons so apply Is clearly seen
from the following summary of its
provisions:
"Every- package of seed of one
pound or more in weight, which Is ex
posed for sale within the boundaries
of tic state of Oregon, must be
labeled plainly and correctly with the
name of the seed contained and with
Ornamental Plants Being
Shipped In From Belgium
SHIPMENTS from Belgium or orna
mental plants containing from
two or three plants to 1000 plants 1b
each shipment, have fceen coming
into the United States at the rate of
60 a day, according to the Federal
Horticultural Board. While France
sends more nursery stock during the
year than all the other European
countries combined, during October
and November more ornamental
plants have come from Belgium than
from all the others combined.
The Belgium shipments come via
Holland, the territory where they or
iginate being on the Dutch border.
The shipments come largely to brok
ers in New York City, who distribute
them to individuals.
France, which sends much of our
imported fruit stock as well as orna
mental trees, also continues to ship,
the territory where these stocks orig
inate being west of the war zone. The
Federal Horticultural Board has
cabled the French government re
garding the maintenance of the In
spection service and has received
through the French Ambassador in
formation that the service is being
maintained. Large importers of
French stock have since confirmed
this advice.
Under the existing European con
ditions there may naturally be ex
pected some irregularity in compli
ance with our own regulations, ami
certain leniency may occasionally be
necessary, especially where safety can
be fully Insured by adequate inspec
tion on his side. 4
the purity and germination thereof;
and further, no seed containing cer
tain noxious weed seeds, such as dod
der, Canada thistle and the like, can
be sold at all in Oregon.
Application Wide.
"It is thus seen that ttje law ap
plies to every dealer in the state ex
cept those who sell In small packets
of less than a pound weight. A list
of about 100 small dealers in Port
land has been prepared by the Com
missioner's office, each of which will
be visited before January 15 by a
deputy, who will explain the law fully
and at the same time give due warn
ing that Its requirements must be
complied with at once. Another visit
will be made in one month to see
that all requirements have been com
plied with. By thus clearing up the
stocks of Portland dealers that large
ly supply small dealers throughout
the state, the standard of stocks
handled by the small country dealers
will be improved automatically. The
same procedure will then be enforced
In every part of the state, for which
purpose lists of dealers are rapidly
being prepared, until the entire stock
of agricultural seeds In every part of
the state Is In the best condition pos
sible for the corning business with the
farmers.
"It now seems probable that many
of the small dealers handling seeds
as a side line will drop out of the
business entirely rather than bother
with meeting the requirements of the
law. This will concentrate the busi
ness more among dependable seeds
men that are making every effort to
handle only the very highest class of
seeds that comply with the standards
of purity and germination. Nothing
better than this could result for the
farmer.
Small Dealer Unreliable.
"It is the small dealer as a rule
that cares least about the quality of
the seed he sells, often underselling
reliable dealers because of the cheap
ness of his goods and reaching the
farmer with low quality seeds that
do incalcuahle damage, not only in
spreading harmful weed pests but
also decreasing the yield by means of
Beeds that grow but weakly or not at
all. Thus a lar ge part of the farmers'
profits in both labor and investment
is thrown away before he starts to
plow. Since all seed of a kind look
so nearly alike the average farmer
does not recognize the enormous dif
ference of quality and the Immense
Importance of paying a few cents per
pound more to dependable seedsmen
who furnish only high-grade seed. It
was for this purpose, Indeed, that the
Weather Bureau Takes Up
New Lines of Public Work
SEVERAL new Hues of work for the
benefit of the public, and espe
cially of the farmers, according to
the annual report of the Weather
Bureau, were Inaugurated during the
year. Others recently begun have
been extended into portions of the
country where the growing Import
ance of agricultural pursuits have
made them of Increased value.
A special service given to orchard
ists and raisers of tobacco, oranges,
cranberries and certain other crops
has been rendered by means of frost
warnings Issued in Spring and Au
tumn. Close attention Is paid by the
forecasters to the needs of these crops
at critical periods, and the growers
are kept fully advised as to the dan
gers of frost and are warned of the
necessity of resorting to measures of
protection through artificial heating
and smudging, or flooding the bogs in
case of cranberries.
The establishment of a "cattle
region service," through which bul
letins containing statements of weath
er conditions over the stock ranges
of the Texas panhandle and adjacent
regions are Issued, constitutes a new
feature of the bureau's work. This
has been particularly effective as af
fecting the cattle industry of the
great Southwest, having proved ot
such material value as to create a de
mand for Its continuance throughout
the entire year, instead of from April
to October as at present.
Another opportunity for service has
been found in the timbered region ot
the West during periods of unusual
drought. This has been taken ad
vantage of through the issue ot spo
clal forecasts of hot dry winds, which
are disseminated directly to the offi
cials of the fire patrol of the forest
service and other similar organiza
tions, placing them on their guard at
times of unusual danger of fire incep
tion. A feature of considerable moment
to scientists and students of meteor
ology was the dally Issue of a weather
map for the entire Northern Hemi
sphere, begun by the bureau last Jan
uary. Unfortunately, the issue of this
map was necessarily suspended at the
outbreak of the present European
war.
Explorations of the upper air and
studies of solar radiation were con
tinued by the bureau during the year.
No small light has been thrown upon
obscure features of weather control
through the Information already ob
tained of conditions prevailing In the
upper atmosphere, and continued In
vestigations are expected to disclose
additional valuable facts. Active
field work of this character was
transferred during the year from
Mount Weather, Va., to Fort Omaha,
Neb., where more favorable condi
tions for atmospheric exploration ex
ist. law was enacted and will be strictly
enforced. What the farmer was un
able to do for himself the law con
templates having the seedsman do for
him.
rienty of Notice Given.
"Seed dealers throughout the state
should take notice that, since plenty
of time has been given them by the
Commissioner's office to learn tha
provisions of the law and arrange
their stocks In conformity with it,
beginning with tho new year all
stocks will be inspected as rapidly as
possible and all provisions of the law
actively enforced. On the other
hand, it is felt by the Board that
farmers and the public generally
should co-operate with the Commis
sioner In every way possible, espe
cially by notifying him of any deal
er exposing for sale any seed not
legally labeled both as to purity and
germination quality.
"With the seed law propferly en
forced Oregon will no longer be a
dumping grownd for Inferior agri
cultural seed not salable in any of
our adjoining stales, all of which
have seed laws. Further, the reput
able dealer that wishes to do nothing
but an honest business will no long
er have to competo with low-grade,
inferior, cheap seed, which is never
cheap at any price. And most of all,
farmers will not have to buy such in
ferior seed without knowing that it
is inferior. The result will be not
only a more desirable and prosperous
business for the seed dealers but an
increase of hundreds of thousands of
dollars annually in tho incomes of the
farmers through use of better seed."