REPOET OF THE CHEMIST. 



TJ. S. Department of Agriculture, 



Division of Chemistry, 

 Washington, D. C, September i, 1900. 



Sir: In harmony with the requirements of your circular letter of 

 July 2 last, I beg to submit the following report of the Division of 

 Chemistrj' for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1900. I also include, in 

 accordance with your request, an outline of the work proposed for 

 the current vear, and plans and estimates for the fiscal vear ending 

 June 30, 1002. 



Respectfully, H. W. Wiley, 



Chemist. 

 Hon. James Wilson, Secretary. 



"work of the year. 



investigation of the composition and adulteration of foods. 



The work of the Division in this branch of investigation during the 

 past fiscal year has been directed chiefly to a studj^ of the composition 

 and adulteration of preserved meats. The analj'tical data have been 

 completed, and the large amount of clerical work necessary for an 

 appropriate elaboration, comparison, and final tabulation of the 

 results obtained is nearly finished. The text to accompany the tables 

 is also almost ready for the printer. It is hoped that the report of 

 the investigation may be ready for distribution before the close of the 

 present calendar year. 



An investigation that involves an exposition of the relative merits 

 of manufactured products of a given class must be carefulh^ planned, 

 so as to avoid the injustice of omitting the goods of one or more manu- 

 facturers. Such an omission would work an injustice to the pul)lic 

 and to the individual manufacturers, whether the omitted products 

 be good, bad, or indifferent. It has therefore been the endeavor of 

 this Division, in undertaking investigations of this kind, to secure 

 samples of every brand obtainaWe and belonging to the class of goods 

 under investigation. The degree of our success in this regard and the 

 AGR 1900 2 17 



