Abstract

Mr. M. R. Ramaswami Sivan enquired, if the Lecturer, or any one else in the audience, could give informantion regarding the balls of mud which are so frequently found in bags of Nellore rice. They are often of the same size and shape as the rice itself, and possess the same specific gravity. He had been told of the existence of a small machine by which these balls are made and added to the rice (Laughter). He wished to know if the adulteration were made by the middlemen (Laughter).We are inclined to think that these balls of mud come from the threshing floor. When the paddy is passed through the hulling machine, the pieces of mud naturally get reduced to the shape and size of the finished rice [Ed].The President observed that he had heard of the existence in Egypt of Scientific chambers where the art of adulteration was sytematically carried on.

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