578 ANNUAL REPORTS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Sinco tlio Inst report was issued the lalmratoi-y at San Jnan, P. li., 

 was established and be^an work in Sej^lenibcr, 1911. 



The following tabulated statement from the reports of the branch 

 laboratories indicates the nature and extent of the work accomplished. 

 Comparison can not be made of the results of individual laboratories 

 because of the varvin<r conditions, size of forces, and periods of time 

 required for routine and court work. 



Fonil and drug samples examined in the various Jjranch laboratories during the 



fiscal year ended June 30, 19J2. 



' For seven months only. 



BOSTON LABORATORY. 



The work of the Boston laboratory has been about equally divided 

 between the imported and interstate food and drug products. _ 



The .study of the arsenic content of shellac and the contamination 

 of foods from this source was continued, and the results obtained 

 were published in Circular 91 of the bureau. At the beginning of 

 this investigation all of the shellac imported contained appreciable 

 quantities of orpiment, the yellow sulphid of arsenic, which was 

 added in India primarily for the purpo.se of improving the color of 

 the shellac. It is now possible to obtain shellac in commercial quan- 

 tities free from arsenic. 



A milk campaign was carried out at Providence, E. I., in order to 

 determine the character of the interstate milk shipped to that city. 

 About 15 per cent of the samples examined were found to be watered, 

 skimmed, or bacteriologically bad. Twenty-eight of these shippers 

 have paid fines, and a large number of Providence milk cases are 

 still pending. 



The traffic of fresh raspberries and blueberries from New Bruns- 

 wick and Prince Edward Island to Boston, for manufacturers of 



