TRADE TOPICS

Press, Volume XLIX, Issue 14833, 26 November 1913, Page 13

TRADE TOPICS

(from ora own coRnEaroNDEXT.) LONDON, October 17. DANGER OF SPRAYED APPLES. Dr. Sopp, a Norwegian bacteriologist, warns the public against the possibility of arsenical poisoning from eating imported American apples. Dr. Sopp states that owing to indisposition after eating apples, ho was led to examine a number of "American" apples, and found on two of them, in the hollow near the stalk, a visible layer of green powder. A microscopic examination showed that the green powder contained both copper and arsenic—more than sufficient to explain the symptoms of poisoning if the apple were carelessly penled. " It is also stated tßat there were traces of Paris green all over the poisonous apples where uneven, and that there was reason to fear that some of the arsenic hod penetrated into the flesh of the fruit. The presence of the poison is attributed to the practice of American fruit-growers of spraying fruit trees with Bordeaux mixture and Paris green, not only before the trees are in bloom, but also in some cases after the has begun to set, the amount of ram between this time and harvesting not being sufficient wash away tho spraying materials from the hollows near the stalk and eg"c of the apple. It is necessary, therefore, to warn growers against careless spraying.

COLD STORAGE AT SEA

The consumption of imported, frozen, and chilled meat and dairy produce, says the annual report of -'Lloyd's Shipping Register," is increasing yearly, and the question of the overseas carriage of such is one which has always received the closest attention of the committee, who view with much satisfaction the coutinned confidence which shipowners, underwriters and merchants place in the surveys carried

out by the Society's surveyors of the refrigerating machinery and appliance s employed. The number of vessels boloLng the Society's certificate in respectof refrigerating machinery conxinues to increase, being now i<l. Oα those T^ s "| sels 1000 surveys have Deen held by t-ho i Society's surveyors at leading and dis- j charging ports during *iie months. At the present time tlierc -are twenty-five vessels being fitted ■with refrigerating machinery under the supervision of tho SocliM-v's surveyors, the majority of thorn besnr: of very large carrying capacity. GLYCERINE DEARER. Quotations for pure giycerine havo been marked up £5 per ton, making the basis price tdo naked, for lots. This movement was uot' a"o----gether unexpected, banns been pretty clearly foreshadowed t>y ceriaiu. recent developments in tho open uiarKet, as, for instance, the advance in v.3 price or crude glycerine. l>y a similar aciciinj., and a corrcspwncunc advance in industrial or dynamite iJoth on tho Continent and in the United Slates crude glycerine nas been .siumfTc :m advancing tendency for some time past. The bulk of the supplies of giyceriiie emanate from tho soap • tic waste liquor of soau and contains on an average about '•; per cent, of glycerine, and practically all the makers product) it, as a rn!<\ the soapmaker sells his output of vno """.'- ---product to one or other of the t-.j: eo«i>miuiers who rciine, or to merchants wl 0 ship it to tho United States to be r*- ' fined. Yearly contracts are Rc-nemiiy entered into. Even the British Go- ! vernraont, which is a substantial coi|- ! sumer of glycerine in connexion with the manufacture of cordite, obtahis tho bulk of its supplies from Messrs Nobel, or from ono or other of the big soapiuakers who refine. HUGE OIL PROFITS. Tho Shell Transport and Trading Company hopo to make one million sterling more profit in 1913 than in 1912. Sir Marcus Samuel said they wero determined that the great distributing organisation which they had created should not be dependent upqn any ono field, or upon any ono country, or upon any one Government. Th<fy wero convinced that a riso in tho price of oil in California was quito inevitable. Users of liquid fuel need be under no alarm as to supplies, for great developments wero in progress. Sir Marcus said tho position was a very curious one in the oil world at present. In two groat producing countries— Moxico and California—production was in excess of the present demand, and tho price of oil per ton as compared with coal, was actually less. He was convinced that when the enormous superiority of oil, even as a fuel, was recognised, it would realise something approaching its value as compared with coal. APPLES FOR COWS. The/cider striko" in South Herefordshire has resulted in the farmers having the apples analysed for their feeding value. Cider makers only offered 30s per ton, and this sum tho farmers thought too low. It is found that cider apples aro a much richer food than mangolds, and havo a- quite peculiar virtue in increasing the milkyield of cows. Eveu the refuse from the cider, which tho farmers themselves make with a certain percentage of their apples, is reckoned a valuable cattle food, and is eagerly devoured by all sorts of stock when scattered on the field. But with regard to tho wholo apple, tho analysts decide that they arc worth as much as 30s a ton for cattle food, and if this is so tho bargaining power of the farmer is much increased. WHITE 'WALL PAPERS. At tho National Gas Exhibition there was a discussion on the lighting, heating, and ventilation of schools. Professor Silvanus Thompson declared [ that the nature of the wall surface on I which light falls ha.s a great deal to do with tho proper lighting of a room. He pointed out that with amplo illumination the room may be badly lighted if tlie walls "absorb too much of that illumination instead of giving it back by diffuse reflection. Few, people know how much light is thus wasted and thrown away White cartridge paper absorbs and wastes about 20 per cent of the light; 'a white-washed wall absorbs from 30 to 40 per cent.; an ordinary yellow or buff wall-paper usually wastes 50 to 60 per cent.; the deep scarlet and crimson wall-papers now fashionable for dining-rooms -waste from 70 to 75 per cent.; brown paper wastes about 85 to 88 per cent. Clearly economy in artificial lighting, and for comfort in tho daylight lighting! of large rooms, the ceilings should be jinvariably white, and the -walls, if not wliito should bo of the palest tints."