REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR. 



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During the winter of 1882-83 the Station was without labora- 

 tory facilities. On the first of March, 1883, the new laboratory- 

 was so nearly completed that chemical work could be begun, and 

 in the following jjages is given an account of this work from 

 March 1st to December 1st, so far as it is of interest to the public. 

 Much time and pains have necessarily been given to testing- 

 analytical methods and controlling results, in order to insure the 

 utmost accuracy, but, in most cases, tliis woi'k having no general 

 interest, is not suited to publication. 



The fertilizer law requires the Director of this Station to 

 " cause one or more analyses of each fertilizer to be made and 

 published annually." This has considerably increased the work 

 on fertilizers, and during the last nine months 219 analyses have 

 been made, nearly one-half of them on samples of complex com- 

 position, each one requiring six determinations in duplicate. In 

 connection with the fertilizer work, various investigations have 

 been made, with a view to securing greater accuracy in work and 

 rapidity in its execution. Some valuable results have been 

 obtained, which are noticed on subsequent pages. 



Fifteen partial or complete analyses of milk have been made 

 for creameries and individual dairymen. 



A modification of Liebermann's method for determining the fat 

 in milk has been devised, which makes it possible to execute a 

 lai'ge number of fat determinations in a short time, and which, it 

 is believed, will be of service in work for the creameries of the 

 State or in dairy experiments. 



Three samples of butter, suspected of adulteration, have been 

 tested with negative results. 



Of fodders, twenty analyses have been made. 

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