744 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



braska, 1; Now York. 19; Oklahoma, G; Ohio, 1; Pennsylvaniaj 4; 

 Tennessee, 4; Virginia, 11; West Virginia, 4; Canada, 1; United 

 States Reclamation Service, 1; United States Navy Department, 1; 

 and United States War Department, 2. 



Their influence is undoubtedly shown in the production of better 

 and more uniform materials on the part of the manufacturers. 



While great progress has been made in the improvement of methods 

 of bitummous road treatment and construction during recent years, 

 the subject is still in a stage of development, and the trained experts 

 in this class of work are comparatively few. For this reason, and for 

 the purpose of a better collaboration between laboratory experiments 

 and field work, it becomes necessary for members of the laboratory 

 force to spend a portion of their time in the field. During the fiscal 

 year 68 assignments were made for the purpose of making inspec- 

 tions, giving advice, or supervising work on bituminous projects. 

 These assignments covered 14 States and the District of Columbia, 

 as follows: District of Columbia, IG; Georgia, 1; Idaho, 1; Illinois, 

 5; Iowa, 4; Maine, 2; Maryland, G; Massachusetts, 1; New Jersey, 4; 

 New York, 18; Ohio, 1; Pennsylvania, 1; South Carolina, 2; Ten- 

 nessee, 1 ; and Virginia, 5. 



The great increase in work accomplished over the previous year 

 was largely due to improvement in working facilities after moving 

 into the building at present occupied by the office, and also to the 

 active interest taken by each member of the laboratory force in sys- 

 tematizing and improving its organization. Much time and thought 

 has been put upon methods of perfecting each detail of the functions 

 of the laboratory as related to the work of other branches of the 

 office and the cooperation of the assistant chemists in this matter, 

 which involved considerable unsolicited overtime work freely given, 

 should receive high commendation. 



But two additions to the laboratory force were made, one a lab- 

 oratory helper appointed to replace the former helper who was 

 assigned to the testing laboratory and a student assistant whose 

 services were not secured until the latter part of June. The much- 

 regretted resignation on November 1 of the assistant director, who 

 had been directly in charge of the laboratories, brought the actual 

 number of employees lower, therefore, than in the preceding year. 

 At the close of the past fiscal year the force consisted of a chemist in 

 charge, two assistant chemists, one student assistant, and one lab- 

 oratory helper. 



With the organization of the force thus far accomplished, it is 

 hoped to increase largely the value of the laboratory through the con- 

 tinuation of the investigations already under way, and the institu- 

 tion of new researches, which are at present under contemplation. 

 While there may have been an apparent contraction in the scope of 

 work during the past year, it has become necessary to concentrate 

 effort upon problems dealing principally with bitumens and their 

 application to road construction and maintenance in order to meet 

 the growing demand for information upon this subject. Judging 

 from the results of the past few years, the routine work of the lab- 

 oratory should largely increase in volume. For example, the 

 standardization of methods is a matter of paramount importance 

 demanding lengthy research ; the study of the effect of essential con- 



