"VITRIOL ON FRUIT."

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2109, 28 March 1914, Page 8

"VITRIOL ON FRUIT."

V; AN .ABSl'ltD SUGGESTION. ' : !A! I'dhtloii; cablegram,. dated Maxell 24, r,ead as under,:—"An analyst rethat blue vitrol has been..found on imported < apples, as- the result of spraying. This, is dangerous to ■ tho health of the eaters , unless, the ,applo is ! peeled." ■ , ■ , "This,'; said-Mr. T. W. Kirk (Director., of Orchards) yesterday, "evidently refers to tho practico of spraying fruit with Bordeaux mixture—that is, a mixture..' of bluestone and lime. , The absurdity,of suggesting that the quantities' existing on. apples, when, they reach the' market is in the slightest degree . dangerous, is shown by the. fact that a "few years ago a similar story arose about arsenate of lead, a far more dangerous spray','yet the result of the Government Analyst's examination' of fruit gathered! by two medical officers attached, to the Health Department showed that there is no danger to health. The medical men (1) gathered some fruit from trees regularly sprayed during the- season, and (2). saw a. tree and themselves gathered the fruit directly the spray was dry.' The following is the ,report. oh these specimens furnished by tho Dominion Analyst, Dr. Maclaurin:— Sender of specimen—District Health Officer.

' Spocimen—Apples from Wereroa State Farm, picked in the presence of Di-s. Frengley and Makgill, and Messrs. ICirk and Boucher. Particulars—A: Apples sprayed, allowed to dj-y, and immediately picked. B: Some of A apples wiped with a duster. 'C: Apples which had been sprayed in usual manner during the'season. In order.to estimate the quantity of arsenic, etc., on the apples, they were ' treated with appropriate solvents, and the solution so obtained analysed! A apples gave _ i'' Grains per Grains per • lb.'of apples, bushel (401b.), . Copper 0.105 4.20 - . /lead ... 0.040 . . 1.60 ' Arsenic ....,0.011, 0.44 B. Wiped apples 1 : These gave • about one-third of the arsenic. found on A apples.;, C. Apples sprayed in the usual manner during (season: . These., particular apples were sprayed in October with arsenate of lead and .Bordeaux mixture, and on five subsequent occasions, with . arsenate of lead, alone. .When treated in the way as A apples, the following results' were obtained: — Grains per Grains per ' ,Ib. of apples, bushel (401b.). Copper "•»• • j.. 7.90 4:9 Lead ......... 1.250 4.25 . Arsenic ...; 1.900 4.90 . When the'se were peeled no traco of arsenic or lead could bo,! detected, ; and only .the merest trace .of copper (about 1.600 grain per pound of apples). t ... ■ .. • These results show -that the apples sprayetT-with arsenate of; lead and b|ue-. stono in tho usuql manner during'the season'contain. such' minute trace's;'of copper, lead, and arsenic,that they may bo eaten with perfect safety. In fact, the amount of arsenic is'so small that one would-require to consume two bushels, of. apples (skins and.:all^ ; .to -get a full medical doso' 6i> arsenic. _ Even in -tljeVcas.^flf. apples^.sprayed,_ immedipick^g s f ; inio B iijr to thr ; es pou'nds .coula'he .eaten,: without: producing '. serious results, and such apples would be completely freed from arsenic and lead by peeling:—(Signed) J. S. Maclaurin, D.Sc.i F.C.S., Analyst.,