262 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



production oi carbonated beAerajres. Carbonated bottled beverages 

 of three distinct types have been made in the laboratory from flavor- 

 ing sirups containing cassina extract. Formulas have been prepared 

 for the manufacture of cassina-flavored bottled sodas. 



LEATHER INVESTIGATIONS. 



The shoe- wearing experiments, conducted jointly with the War 

 Department, which necessitated the complete analysis of 2'25 samples 

 of leathers and a great amount of work in calculating, tabulating, 

 and correlating analytical and wear data, have been completed and 

 a report made. 



Civilian wearing tests were continued during the past year and 

 many additional data have been thus collected on the wearing qualities 

 of the experimental leathers used in the cooperative service tests. 



As a result of trials made with machines designed in the bureau 

 to test the relative wearing quality of sole leathers, necessary modi- 

 fications and improvements have been suggested and are being made. 



A report has been prepared in which the following general conclu- 

 sions are given: Under the conditions of these tests, bark-tanned 

 upper leather was not as satisfactory as were the other types of 

 upper leather; fiber soles, while showing a very high resistance to 

 wear, were not suitable, mainly because of the development of phys- 

 ical failures during service ; oak, chestnut, and hemlock sole leather 

 tannages showed practically the same average wear resistance, 

 while belting leather indicated a slightly greater serviceability: 

 chrome sole leathers ou^Avore the vegetable tannages, with unwaxed 

 chrome showing the highest wear resistance. There Avas practically 

 no difference in the wear of loaded and unloaded leathers; well- 

 rolled leathers showed about 16 per cent more wear than unrolled 

 ones. Soles from the shoulder end of the bend did not show an 

 average wear equal to those from the butt end. Extensive data on 

 the comparatiA^e chemical composition of the original leathers and 

 parts of the Avorn soles are given. 



Results showing the effect of relatiAe humidity on the physical 

 properties of leathers, the first extensive ones on this subject, Avere 

 presented in a paper read at the annual meeting of the American 

 Leather Chemists' Association. The data aroused considerable in- 

 terest, since they indicated, at least with leathers of a certain type, 

 that humidity has a decided effect wdiich can not be ignored in the 

 accurate physical testing of leather. 



Experiments dealing with the relatiA^e preservative effects of vari- 

 ous oils and greases on leathers Avere completed and the results pre- 

 sented in a paper before the American Leather Chemists' Associa- 

 tion. These results, while interesting and possibly indicative, were 

 not entirely conclusive, and it is planned to carry on more of such 

 work for confirmatory and additional data. 



Farmers' Bulletin No. 1183, The Care of Leather, was reissued 

 in reA'ised form. A second revision of Farmers' Bulletin Xo. 1055, 

 Country Hides and Skins, has also been issued. 



The following papers were published during the past j'ear : " The 

 effect of atmospheric humidity on the determination of moisture in 

 leather," " Notes on water extraction of leather," " Rapid Avashing 



