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THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



mucilage alone amount to an annual total of about 2,000 samples. 

 These chemical analyses and conjoint physical tests furnish a scientific 

 basis for more definite specifications for future purchases. 



A demand has developed for certified samples of iron and steel of 

 definite composition ; also for samples of sugar of the highest purity. 

 Many hundreds of these are sent out annually. They are highly impor- 



The Power Hodse and Low Temperature Building. 



tant to encourage the growing tendency to apply pure science to com- 

 mercial processes in place of haphazard traditional methods. 



The engineering section of the bureau is one of the later ones estab- 

 lished. It has already much more than justified itself. In addition to 

 the work in Washington, designed to secure fundamental data for engi- 

 neers, it carries on investigations at Pittsburgh in the building turned 

 over by the Geological Survey by direction of the last congress. The 



