REPORT OF THE CHEMIST. 



United States Department of Agriculture, 



Bureau of Chemistry, 

 Washington, D. C, September 14-, 1923. 



Sir : I beg to submit herewith the report of the work of the Bureau 

 of Chemistry for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1923, and recommend 

 that it be printed in the usual manner. 

 Respectfully, 



Hon. Henry C. Wallace, 



Secretary of Agriculture. 



W. G. Campbell, 



Acting Chief. 



INTRODUCTION. 



The Bureau of Chemistry is authorized in the appropriation adt 

 for the Department of Agriculture to conduct investigations relating 

 to the application of chemistry to agriculture; to make biological 

 investigations of food and drug products, including the physiological 

 effects of such products on the human organism ; to develop methods 

 for the manufacture of table sirup and sugar; to investigate the 

 composition, action, and application of insecticides and fungicides; 

 to develop methods for the prevention of plant-dust explosions and 

 fires in cotton gins and cotton-oil mills; to improve methods for 

 dehydrating fruits and vegetables ; to investigate the grading, weigh- 

 ing, handling, transportation, and uses of naval stores, and to demon- 

 strate improved processes of preparing naval stores; to conduct ex- 

 periments on the utilization, for coloring, medicinal, and technical 

 purposes, of raw materials grown or produced in the United States ; 

 to collaborate with other departments of the Government in chemical 

 investigations; to enforce the act to prevent the importation of im- 

 pure and unwholesome tea; and to enforce the food and drugs act, 

 commonly called the pure food law. 



The purpose of this report is to outline briefly the specific work 

 conducted and the important results accomplished during the fiscal 

 year ended June 30, 1923. 



AGRICULTURAL CHEMICAL INVESTIGATIONS. 



Basic research work in agricultural chemistry, including the ap- 

 plication of the results to agriculture and to the development of new 

 or improved methods for the manufacture of products made from 

 farm crops, was carried on during the year under one general au- 

 thorization and under five specific authorizations. 



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