600 ANNUAL KEPORTS OF DEPARTMENl^Or AGRICULTURE. 



papers impregnated with nicotine and to determine the effect of 

 different types of containers on the rate of nicotine loss, the con- 

 ditions under which loss does and does not occur and the conditions 

 that will prevent loss, was practically completed during the fiscal 

 year 1921, but a little more necessary work was performed during 

 the fiscal year 1922. As soon as time permits the. results will be 

 collated and studied and offered for publication, if it appears they 

 are worthy of publication. 



A study was started about two years ago in regard to the changes, 

 (m storage, of commercial nicotine solution, packed in different types 

 of containers, the effect of light, etc. The results up to date indicate 

 that such solution, when properly packed, deteriorates very slowly. 

 Nicotine dusts made up with the following carriers, talcum, kiesel- 

 guhr, kaolin, sulphur, calcium sulphate, calcium hydrate, and calcium 

 carbonate, containing 2 to 8 per cent nicotine, show, up to date, very 

 little deterioration after four months, when packed in tight glass 

 jars. When packed in cardboard boxes or bags some loss of nicotine 

 occurs. This loss is greater in the case of lime and calcium-carbonate 

 fillers. This woj-k will be continued during the fiscal year 1922, since 

 it is necessary K)r the board to have data on this subject, in or^er 

 that we may be able to handle cases involving shortages in nicotine 

 in nicotine solutions and in nicotine-filler dusts. 



It is often necessary to know the possible and probable rates at 

 which samples of chlorinated lime lose available chlorine, in order 

 to be able to successfully prosecute cases based on shortages of avail- 

 able chlorine in commercial samples of chlorinated lime. Therefore, 

 samples of most of the commercial brands of chlorinated lime 

 (bleaching powder) sold on the market were obtained and placed in 

 storage in 1921. Complete analyses were made of these samples wdien 

 placed in storage and the available chlorine determined monthly 

 thereafter. Valuable data already have been obtained. However, 

 the work will be continued during the fiscal year 1923 on samples of 

 known fti'igin packed under commercial conditions, but under the 

 supervision of board chemists, in order that the complete history of 

 the samples may be known. The data on this subject will be offered 

 later for publication. 



On October 1, 1921, United States Department of Agriculture 

 Bulletin No. 989, entitled "Pine Oil and Pine Distillate Product 

 Emulsions: Method of Production, Chemical Properties and Disin- 

 fectant Action," was published jointly by the board and the Bureau 

 of Chemistry. This bulletin ^ives the methods of preparing pine 

 oils and the chemical and physical properties of pine oils and certain 

 other pine by-product oils, all of which is of value in enabling the 

 board to detect adulteration of commercial pine-oil disinfectants. 

 Also the disinfectant action of pine-oil and pine-distillate product 

 emulsions has been studied and valuable scientific data obtained, as 

 well as data which allows the board to pass on the claims on labels 

 of pine-oil disinfectants which are sold on the market. 



In March, 1922, a paper was published by one of the board chem- 

 ists in the Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry, volume 

 14. page 207. entitled " Errors caused by nitrates and nitrites in the 

 determination of arsenic by the distillation method and a means for 

 their prevention." 



