268 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



have operated to curtail the feed business during tJie past year. P^vi- 

 dence of violation of the Federal Food and Drugs act, which also con- 

 stituted violations of the State law, covering 40 cases was submitted to 

 the U. S. Department of Agriculture for prosecution by the Department 

 of Justice. In the majority of cases our evidence has been sustained. 

 Special mention should be made of the cases against E. P. Mueller, a 

 Chicago broker. During the summer of 1919 several cars of low grade 

 ground screenings were sold by him through the western part of the 

 State. It was represented to be "Ground Barley and Flax" in some 

 cases and in others "Pea and Barley Feed." Evidence was obtained 

 covering five of these shipments, four of which the Department of Agri- 

 culture has recommended for prosecution. Mr. Mueller is also under 

 indictment brought by the Grand Jury in the Western District of Mich- 

 igan on evidence furnished largely by this department for profiteering 

 in connection with one of these cases. 



Insecticide Inspection: Eighty-seven samples of insecticides and 

 fungicides were collected during May and June and are now being ana- 

 lyzed. The results for last year's inspection will be contained in the 

 Report of the State Board of Agriculture for the year ending June 30th, 

 1920. 



HATCH FUND. 



The study of the "Alkaline Permanganate Method" which is now being 

 widely used for the determination of available nitrogen in fertilizers 

 has been carried on during the past year and it is expected that the work 

 will be completed in the near future. The results will be of interest, 

 especially to fertilizer and control chemists. 



A rapid method for the analysis of limestones and marls has been de- 

 veloped by Mr. Robinson. The results of this work will be published in 

 a forthcoming number of "Soil Science" as scientific paper No. 15. 



A study of the cause of foliage injury when magnesium and calcium 

 arsenates are used for spraying purposes was investigated during the 

 year. This was published in the Quarterly Bulletin, Vol. 2, No. 2. 



ADAMS FUND. 



Project 2b. "A study of physico-chemical aspects of soil acidity." 

 Very little has been done on this project during the year due chiefly to 

 a concentration of effort on other problems. It is expected, however, 

 tliat this work will be actively resumed very soon. A preliminary paper 

 describing the work that has already been done on the soil acidity phase 

 of the subject was published by Mr. Winter, in "Science," Vol. 51, No. 

 1305. 



Project 2ba. "The organic nitrogenous compounds in peat soils." Mr. 

 Miller has devoted his attention to this subject during the year and has 

 succeeded in isolating aspartic acid in considerable quantity as one of 

 the products in the hydrolysis of peat. This has an important bearing 

 from tlie agricultural standpoint inasmuch as aspartic acid may be 

 utilized as food by bacteria. 



Project 2e. "A study of the preparation and properties of pure vege- 

 table proteins." Only a small amount of preliminary work has been 

 done on this project. Active work has been delayed in order that the 



