BUREAU OF CHEMISTRY. 471 



(5) Continuation of the studies on the chemical composition of 

 grapes and apples. 



(6) Continuation of the studies on yeast races and their practical 

 use in the factory work. 



SUGAR INVESTIGATIONS. 



The completion of the extensive investigation under way in regard 

 to the maple-sugar industry will be made the most important work 

 of the year 1912, together with the completion of the study of the 

 moisture content of cane sirup and molasses and the work on imported 

 honey. Preparatory work will be done looking toward as thorough 

 an investigation of the sorghum and cane sirup industries as has been 

 made in the case of maple products. The environment studies on 

 the sugar content of watermelons and muskmelons will be steadily 

 advanced. 



PLANT PHYSIOLOGICAL STUDIES. 



Among the principal plant physiological studies may be enumerated 

 the following: 



(1) The milUng of wheats and the baking of the resultant flour in 

 order to determine their value for bread making, 



(2) The chemical study of mill products. 



(3) The investigation of graham flours on the market. 



(4) The study of the composition of leaves of various trees at differ- 

 ent stages of development, for the purpose of determining their value 

 for agricultural uses. 



(5) The study of milling products from rice. 



(6) Starch investigations for the purpose of determining whether 

 it is more practicable to extract the starch from potatoes and other 

 starch-bearing plants, when reduced to a dry condition and then 

 ground, than it is by grinding the fresh tubers and extracting the 

 starch, as is being done at the present time. 



PHYSICAL CHEMICAL PROBLEMS. 



Investigations on the following subjects are in progress in the 

 physical chemistry laboratory: (1) The preparation of invertase 

 from waste brewers' yeast and a further study oi the laws of its action; 

 (2) the economical preparation of raffinose from cottonseed meal and 

 a study of its hydrolysis by invertase; (3) the quantitative estima- 

 tion of cane sugar, particularly in agricultural and food products, by 

 the use of invertase. 



WORK OF THE MISCELLANEOUS DIVISION. 

 WATER. 



The survey of the important mineral springs of the United States, 

 which includes a very comprehensive analysis of the water from 

 source, will be continued as heretofore. The examination of foreign 

 and domestic waters to determine whether or not they are propeny 

 labeled under the food and drugs act wiU be continued. Improved 

 methods of mineral-water analysis will be studied and the radio- 

 activity of certain mineral-waters determined, the latter investigation 



