poor imitation of roasted whole coffee beans. Composition: Wheat flour, coffee, and chicory.

An imitation coffee bean is also manufactured by the Northwestern Spice Company, of Sioux City, Iowa.

They also, like the Dowling Manufacturing Company, in order, apparently, to give dealers a confidence in the merit of their goods, and to show how much greater benefit the people will derive from their imitation than the true coffee, furnish a chemist's certificate.

The following are copies of their letter and the chemist's certificate, as obtained:

DEAR SIR: We send you to-day, by mail, a sample of our coffee sub., which we can furnish you at four cents a pound, less one half cent per pound rebate for freight. Also a sample of our imt. coffee beans, at eight cents per pound, less one half cent per pound rebate for freight. These goods are strictly vegetable, and not a thing in them injurious, which is in favor of our goods over many others in the market.

Yours very truly,

NORTHWESTERN SPICE CO.,

Per J. P. HAYNES, Treasurer.

GENTLEMEN : We append below copy of certificate of analysis of our product, made by a chemist of Louisville, Ky., which speaks for itself.

Yours respectfully,

NORTHWESTERN SPICE CO.

OFFICE OF J. P. BARNUM CO.,

DISPENSING, MANUFACTURING, AND ANALYTICAL

CHEMISTS,

LOUISVILLE, KY., June 1, 1891.

This will certify that I have examined a sample of coffee manufactured by the Northwestern Spice Co., of Sioux City, Iowa, received from Chas. J. Bouche, and after a thorough and exhaustive examination of the sample furnished, I can assure you that it is not only perfectly harmless, but also nutritious. It is wholly vegetable,

can be combined with any grade of coffee to advantage, and even when used alone affords a very fine beverage.

I have had occasion to examine coffee substitutes for many years, and consider this undoubtedly the best of any hitherto submitted. [Signed] J. P. BARNUM,

Analytical Chemist.

The beans obtained as samples from this company were a much poorer imitation of the genuine than any of the preceding. The color was too light, and the shape was not perfect.

In many of the beans a line, extending over the surface of the bean at its greatest circumference, protuded, as if the moulding operation had been performed in forms that had closed imperfectly, thus giving a somewhat flattened appearance to the bean. On examination they seemed to be composed almost entirely of wheat flour.

At the time of the examination, in 1891, of some coffees and teas, by this department, samples were obtained of an imitation coffee bean manufactured by Louis M. Hall, 1017 Chestnut street, Philadelphia.

This, in appearance, was one of the best imitations of the genuine coffee. It was composed of wheat-flour, and colored, probably with caramel, which gives a brownish color to its water extract. This bean is also noted in Bulletin No. 13, to which references have been made in these pages.

A copy of the circular letter sent out by this firm I take from that report:

DEAR SIR: I send you, by this mail, a sample of imitation coffee.

This is a manufactured bean, and composed of flour. You can easily mix fifteen per cent. of this substitute in with genuine coffee, that ranges in price from twenty to twenty-two and a half cents, and it will improve the flavor of the same; is granulated the same as coffee.

If you deal with us, it will be in the most strict confidence.

This SS. coffee (superior substitute) is packed in barrels; weight, about 170 pounds to barrel. By the use of our bean, you can increase your profits to one and a half cents per pound, and improve the flavor. Try a sample barrel. Price eleven and a half cents per pound, net, ten days. No attention paid to postal cards.

I would not show samples, even to employés.

Yours,

L. H. HILL,

Sole Agent.

A sample was also obtained of an imitation bean much inferior in appearance, the manufacturer of which, and the locality of the manufactory, I was unable to ascertain. The bean was quite light colored, the surface usually cracked in a number of places, as though the bean had been quite wet when moulded, and had cracked on drying or roasting. It is composed almost entirely of flour, probably wheat.

The same bulletin reports an imitation coffee bean, composed of wheat flour, manufactured by the Swedish Coffee Company, New York.

I have seen statements that imitation beans were manufactured also in one or two places in New Jersey, in Ohio, and elsewhere, but have been unable either to locate definitely any such manufacturer, or to find any printed report that did.

Two hundred and seven samples of unground coffee were collected, for the purpose of ascertaining the quality of the bean and the adulterant when bought in this form; also to find if the imitation coffee bean was much used in this state.

These samples were collected in Albany, Binghamton, Ogdensburg, Oneonta, Oswego, Rochester, Rome, Syracuse, Troy, Utica, Waterford, and Watertown.

The result of the examination of these samples is given. in the appended table. Twenty-one samples, or over ten per cent., were found to be adulterated.

In only three samples were there any imitation coffee beans detected. This, however, may not represent the real proportion of the article actually dealt in, since in the collection of the samples for analysis by the collector, dealers often suspect the object of the purchase, and sell a genuine article.

Four samples were found to contain whole roasted peas. To obtain them in the desired form the peas are steamed, rolled out flat without bursting them, and roasted. This gives them an appearance very similar to the coffee bean, both in size and color. The shape is necessarily different, but so much like, that a mixture of fifty per cent. coffee and five per cent. peas would escape detection by the average consumer, unless special attention were directed to the appearance of the mixture.

It was probably the expectation of all the dealers who sold adulterated, unground coffee, that the coffee would be ground before leaving their stores, and fraud would thus escape detection, the purchaser's suspicion, if he had any, being allayed by having the grinding done in his presence.

The following, a copy of a little printed slip, was taken from a pound can of unground coffee, to which about fifty per cent. of adulterants had been added:

Read carefully the following directions:

To get the best results from Broken Java, the entire pound should be ground at once, in order that all may become thoroughly mixed. This is important. Then replace in the jar (which is air-tight) so that the strength and flavor will be preserved, and use as required. Prepare same as you do ordinarily, only use a little less of Broken Java, as it has a greater strength.

Mason fruit jars were given with one pound of coffee in three samples, each one of which was found to contain adulteration.

It was the purpose of this department to obtain, if possi

ble, fair samples of ground coffee. By ground coffee was meant coffee that was offered for sale already ground, not such as was ground after a sale. Some few of the samples obtained were ground after purchasing, though nearly all belong properly to the ground coffee class.

But very few are found to be entirely free from adulteration.

The commonest adulterant was chicory. The American Grocer has estimated that the annual importation of chicory amounts to about 6,000,000 pounds. In response to an inquiry the collector at the port of New York has kindly furnished the following information:

During the year ending June 30, 1892, there was entered at the port of New York alone, 3,432,470 pounds of material classed as coffee substitutes, and dutiable as follows:

Coffee substitutes dutiable at one and one half cents per pound, as provided for in paragraph 321, tariff of 1890, 1,834,275 pounds.

Chicory and coffee substitutes, where chicory is found to be the chief component ingredient, dutiable at two cents. per pound, as provided for chicory, in paragraph 317 of the same tariff, 1,578,195 pounds.

A large number of proprietary coffee substitutes are now manufactured. These are nearly all made to have the size, color, and general appearance of ground coffee, and are used to a large extent for mixing with ground coffee. Sometimes without further adulteration, at other times with chicory, or both chicory, peas, or other cereals.

These compounds were detected in a number of the samples of ground coffee examined, though their detection is somewhat difficult when mixed with ground coffee and other substances.

The names of some of these manufacturers were learned, and their samples and prices were obtained in a number of

cases.