in the inspection of some seventy creameries and cheese factories by our creamery inspector, together with a large number of shipping stations, where milk was being collected for shipment to various cities, and we have reports showing an improvement in the conditions obtaining in a large number of plants so visited. But this branch of the work must be vigorously pursued the coming year, and it is but fair to state that a great many more creameries would have been visited except for the fact that the creamery inspector did not come into the department until the season was well advanced. In conclusion, as to the dairy matters, I wish to state that we have very frequent requests for dairy statistics of this State, and as we have no means of gathering such statistics at present, I trust the next session of the Legislature will provide means empowering the Commissioner to collect and publish such statistics; for, in my judgment, they are of great importance to the State, and I believe would show Illinois to be one of the foremost states of the Union in the production of dairy products. In food products other than dairy products, I have already stated some of the means I have taken to become thoroughly familiar with existing conditions; and I wish to state further that I have made it my business to keep in close touch with large numbers of the manufacturers and jobbers in the State, especially here in Chicago. And while I have found reputable manufacturers and jobbers very willing and anxious to comply with any reasonable ruling or requirement in the matter of labeling their products so as to show the character of the contents of any package which they manufacture or sell, and while there has been an improvement in this respect during the past nine months, there still remains much to be done in correcting the evils of mislabeling. And with the national law now in force making it unlawful to ship improperly labeled foods out of the State, there is grave danger of this State becoming the dumping ground of large quantities of mislabeled and adulterated foods, unless a law along the lines of, and as strict, as the national law is enacted; and unless sufficient means and inspectors to cope with the situation are provided, for the manufacturers of these foods well know that the Federal law does not affect goods which originate and are sold within the State. I will cite several instances to show how some manufacturers are not fair. For example, in the main a product which is labeled "Pure Maple Syrup" in this State at the present time would be found to be maple syrup; but there are still some manufacturers of this product. who are resorting to very questionable, absolutely unfair and petty subterfuges in their labels, which read, for example, as follows: "Vermont Syrup" and "Pure Canadian Syrup" or "Green Mountain Syrup," as the case may be. Such labels as these we find attached to packages containing a mixture of cane and maple syrup. Though the word "maple" does not appear on the label, the inference the purchaser gets and is expected to get from these labels is that he is buying pure maple syrup, as it is very generally understood that the terms "Vermont Syrup" or "Canadian Syrup" are synonomous with maple syrup. I regard such labels as these as being entirely unfair to the purchaser, and believe that I would be sustained in the position that the users of such as these are not dealing frankly with the public and do not approach the subject in a liberal, broad minded manner. Similar subterfuges to the above method are employed in the labeling of various products, and I trust the Legislature of this State will enact a law containing a provision similar to that contained in the national law, which "deems an article to be misbranded if the package containing it or its label shall bear any statement, design or device regarding the ingredients or the substances contained therein which statement, design or device shall be false or misleading in any particular." Such a law will do away with the conditions above complained of and the employment of any other unfair methods, as, for instance, the picture of an olive branch on a bottle of cotton seed oil; or the picture of a vanilla bean on an imitation extract; or such statements as "double strength," "triple or quadruple strength," "double refined," applied to extracts and other articles without regard to the quality of the article. And so I could go on mentioning articles without number. Such things as these are purely frauds and are employed only by the more or less unscrupulous dealers, but have lost favor with the more reputable manufacturers; for these have learned that in cultivating the confidence of the consuming public they are laying the great corner stone upon which to build their future success. Respectfully submitted, H. E. SCHUKNECHT, Assistant Commissioner. REPORT OF A. L. NEHLS, ANALYST OF COMMERCIAL FEED STUFFS. Hon. A. H. Jones, State Food Commissioner: DEAR SIR-In compliance with your request, I herewith submit a report of my work as analyst of commercial feed stuffs during 1906. The Act of May 18, 1905, "to regulate the sale and analysis of concentrated feeding stuffs" requires that "at least one analysis of each feed stuff collected according to the provisions of the law shall be made annually." In June, 1906, I was appointed analyst of commercial feed stuffs. At that time the facilities for rapid and convenient analysis of feeding stuffs in the laboratory were most inadequate, since practically no work of this kind had ever been attempted here. This fact, coupled with other necessary delays incurred in the interpretation of the law, explains the comparatively small number of analyses made during the year. However, immediately on my appointment the work of installing apparatus for the rapid analysis of feeds was begun. This work took considerable time, as several pieces of apparatus had to be constructed from special design. For example, a new condenser for fat determination, which was built from the designs of Dr. Bryan, was two months in the making; but for convenience and rapidity in handling, the new apparatus is probably not exceeded by anything of its kind in this country. Likewise, considerable time was spent in getting new apparatus for rapid protein determinations. All this apparatus was completed and installed by the middle of October, and active work on the analyses begun immediately thereafter. The laboratory is now in a position to handle the samples of feeding stuffs as rapidly as they come in, whereas previous to the installation of the new apparatus an average of probably not more than two complete analyses a day could be kept up. Since the work of analysis was begun, fifty-three samples were brought in by the inspectors. Most of these were collected in Chicago; some, however, coming from outside the city. Of these, only eight, or 15 per cent, had the percentage of crude fat and crude protein guar anteed. Of these eight samples, two had guarantees of protein that materially exceeded the result obtained by analysis. Two of the eight samples had guarantees of fat and protein that were very much lower than the true value as given by analysis. Not one of the fifty-three samples had the percentage of crude fiber guaranteed. Thus, every sample which was taken under the new law was illegal, in that not one of them was guaranteed as the law requires. The necessity for a very vigorous campaign of education along these lines is made very apparent by the foregoing figures. No sample was seriously adulterated with any foreign or injurious substance. Some of the proprietary stock foods contain a very considerable quantity of common salt and charcoal, but this cannot be considered an adulteration under the law. Some manufacturers are beginning to publish the names of the ingredients that make up their "stock foods" or "tonics," as the case may be. When this is done universally, the farmer can himself be the best judge of whether or not he can afford to pay the fancy prices asked for these "cure-all” mixtures. The consensus of opinion on this subject seems to be that these so-called "foods" are sold at a figure that is out of all proportion to their real worth, inasmuch as a well kept, healthy animal does not need them, and when sick the services of a reliable veterinary are more to be desired. There is no doubt that as a concentrated feeding stuff, the price paid for most proprietary stock foods or tonics is many times too high. This is clearly shown in the published analyses. The attention of manufacturers is called to the statement of analysis. of samples Nos. E-1058 and E-1058a. These represent two samples of the same brewer's dried grains taken at the same time, but representing the first and last run from the drier. The difference in fat content of the two is 2.10% and in protein content 3.42%, as follows: E1058 fat 10.49, protein 30.63. The guaranteed analysis of these samples is very conservative; in fact, needlessly so, inasmuch as the chief recommendation of a feed in the future will be its guaranteed statement of analysis. It is, therefore, very much to the manufacturer's interest to see that this statement is the very best one he can honestly make. He must be certain also that when his feed is put on the market, one package of it is as nearly like every other package as good mixing can make it. For instance, the brewer may have taken sample No. 1058 to his chemist for analysis, while sample No. 1058a was furnished our inspector. He could swear. that they were both taken from the same day's run of grain; yet from our analysis, after making the customary allowance for any natural variation in the composition of a feed, it would be our duty under the law to prosecute him, even though his chemist could prove the correctness of his own analysis. This difficulty can be obviated only by the careful taking of a truly representative sample in every case; that is, by such mixing of the original product that each portion is exactly like every other one. Thus, by knowing that the samples sold are exactly like those samples which were analyzed, it becomes possible for the producer to put the highest figures of analysis on his product, thereby making it of greater value to him when it is put on the market. The prime object of the law to regulate the manufacture and sale of concentrated commercial feed stuffs is to prevent the adulteration and sale of a product which has come to be a necessity to the farmer. The clause which requires the manufacturer to furnish a guaranty of protein, crude fat and crude fiber contained in his product is one which ⚫ not only protects the farmer, but which furnishes him a means of using the product intelligently. A concentrated feed is almost useless unless used intelligently, and it can be used in that manner only when the feeder knows what it contains. This fact has long been recognized by the manufacturer who has for sale a product like blood meal, for example, which contains 87% protein. No coercion is necessary in a case of this kind; the producer is glad to furnish an analysis of his product, in that this statement is the very best advertisement the article can have. There can never be any objection to furnishing the results of analysis of a feed which is intended to be really useful. When the farmer insists in all cases upon knowing exactly what he is paying for, instead of being satisfied with voluminous literature which furnishes him nothing but a list of testimonials, he will not be very long in investing his money in only those products that pay a dividend. A careful, honest statement of analysis is in no way harmful to the producer's interests if he is making an honest product; and it is practically a necessity to the intelligent farmer and a thing that he should strongly insist upon. No attempt can be made here to discuss the principles of feeding. The various agricultural stations of the states and of the government have published exhaustive bulletins on that subject, which are gladly furnished to all interested, and should be read and understood by every farmer before he attempts to supplement his own feed by the concentrated feeds on the market. However, in order to put before him the results of a great number of analyses of feeds, showing as nearly as possible what figures to look for, the following table is appended. These have been carefully compiled from various authorities and principally from "Farmers' Bulletin No. 22, United States Department of Agriculture, 1895," and Bulletin No. 145, Department of Agriculture, Pennsylvania. Average Partial Composition of Feeding Stuffs: |