REPORT OF THE CHEMIST. 



United States Department of Agriculture, 



Bureau of Chemistry, 

 Washington, D. C ., October 15, 1918. 

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

 Chemistry for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1918. 

 Respectfully, 



Carl L. Alsberg, Chief. 

 Hon, D, F. Houston, 



Secretary of Agriculture. 



The year has been, one of readjustment. The urgent demands of 

 the various war agencies, the scarcity of techflically trained men, as 

 well as the new work authorized by the FoocT Production Act, made 

 it necessary to close up such projects as have no immediate bearing 

 on the prosecution of the war as rapidly as they could be brought to 

 such a stage that the time, the effort, and the money expended upon 

 them w^ould not be lost. The scientists thus liberated have been 

 assigned to work for the various w ar agencies or else have been used 

 to fill the gaps in the bureau's force engaged in the enforcement of 

 the Food and Drugs Act. Greater vigilance than ever before has 

 been necessary in the administration of this statute, since the general 

 changes in the organization of the trade, as well as the scarcity or 

 high price of many materials, have proved a great temptation to 

 sophistication. Hence it has been necessary to make every effort to 

 keep the bureau's regulatory force intact, though this has not been 

 possible, even approximately. The rapidity of the turnover of the 

 personnel is shown by the fact that on April 5, 1918, of a total force 

 of less than 650 employees of all kinds more than 270 had been 

 emploj^ed in the bureau for one year or less. There were in addition 

 a great number of vacancies. 



In spite of these handicaps and in spite of the very large demands 

 upon the bureau made by the war agencies, the work of the bureau 

 shows no great falling off. Eight hundrecl and one food and drug 

 cases were sent to the Solicitor for consideration with a view to 

 prosecution — a somewhat larger number than in the previous year. 

 This was due in the main to the zeal of the bureau's field force. 

 During the year the organization of this force was modified, in that 

 the three districts were subdivided into stations, the chemists as well 

 as the inspectors at each station being put under the direction of a 

 single official, who in turn is responsible to the chief of the district. 

 The results have amply demonstrated the v/isdom of this plan. 



Concerning the research activities during the year the bureau 

 prepared or cooperated in the preparation of 15 Department Bulle- 

 tins, 1 Farmers' Bulletin, 1 Yearbook article, and 1 circular of the 



97335°— AGR 1918 14 2Q1 



