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131
The street dealers on Sundays were found to be
the most frequent offenders, selling a large
amount of water for the poorer classes to make
“milk puddings” with. Very numerous samples
taken at the railway stations showed that the
country farmers were, many of them, by no means
“rustic innocents.”
Butter, owing to the large importations from our
colonies, has been plenitful and cheap, hence it has
been comparatively little adulterated; only 3 per
cent, of the samples contained Margarine. The
average proportion of Margarine present was 90 per
cent.
Groceries generally, were very free from adulteration,
4 per cent, of the samples only being
adulterated; these samples were, all of them,
however, samples of Coffee, to which from 50 to 70
per cent, of Chicory had been added.
Cereals. It is very satisfactory to find these to
be in all cases absolutely pure.
Spirits. Only 8 samples of these were purchased;
they were all found to be up to the legal
standard, and free from adulteration.
Lard. Of the 31 samples, none were found
adulterated, either with Cotton-seed oil or with Beef
fat.