17512. Adulteration of tangerines  and grapefruit.     IT.  S. v. The Lakeland
Co. Plea of guilty. Fine, $25. (F. & D. No. 22562. I. S. Nos. 5912-x, 
10732-x, 12489-x, 12696-x.)
Examination of samples of the tangerines and grapefruit from the herein- 
described interstate shipments having shown that a large part of the fruit 
was dry due to fruit damage, the Secretary of Agriculture reported the facts 
to the United States attorney for the Southern District of Florida.
On June 25, 1928, the United States attorney filed in the District Court of 
the United States for said district an information against the Lakeland Co., a 
corporation. Lakeland. Fla.. alleging shipment by said company, in violation 
of the food and drugs act, in various consignments, on or about February 14 
and March 3, 1927, from the State of Florida into the State of Georgia, of 
quantities of tangerines and grapefruit, and on or about February 22, 1927, 
from the State of Florida into the State of Colorado, of a quantity of grape- 
fruit, which was adulterated. The tangerines and a portion of the grapefruit 
were labeled in part: " Laparo, * * * The Lakeland Company Lakeland, 
Florida."
It was alleged in the information that the articles were adulterated in that 
decomposed and fruit-damaged fruit had been substituted in part for edible 
tangerines and grapefruit, which the articles purported to be; in that juice, a 
valuable constituent of the articles, had been in part abstracted; and in that 
the articles consisted in part of decomposed vegetable substances.
On February 25, 1929, a plea of guilty to the information was entered on 
behalf of the defendant company, and the court imposed a fine of $25.
ARTHUR M. HYDE,  Secretary of Agriculture.