BUREAU OF CHEMISTRY. 143 



fnn,c:icides to the right of the Department to make analyses of their 

 products and to publish the results. In this connection, it may be 

 mentioned that it is not the object of these investigations to in any 

 way injure the business of any reputable manufacturer. It is hard to 

 see, however, how publicity in regard to these matters can be objected 

 to. The interests of the farmers and others using these bodies is of 

 first importance in these investigations. If it be true that many of 

 these bodies fail to possess the properties attributed to them, the 

 manufacturer is as much interested in knowing this as the consumer, 

 because it may be assumed that no reputable manufacturer would 

 desire to continue to place upon the market an article which is less 

 valuable than it is claimed to be. If, however, occasion should ever 

 arise where a manufacturer, after being informed of the nature of a 

 body, should desire to continue to sell a practically worthless prepara- 

 tion, it seems only proper that the public should be informed in 

 regard to the exact character of the article offered. 



In every instance, before publication, the analj'ses of these bodies are 

 submitted to the proprietors, and they have always ample opportunity 

 to make any representations in regard to the matter which may seem 

 proper to them. Especially, if our analysis is in error, and this must 

 necessarily sometimes happen, the proprietor of the article has the 

 oportunity to point out the mistakes which have been made, in which 

 case an attempt is always made to rectify them before publication. 

 It seems, therefore, that studies of this kind are well suited to pro- 

 tect both the interests of the manufacturer and the consumer, and that 

 no reasonable objection can be raised against them. 



During the past year work was begun, also in collaboration with 

 the Division of Entomology, on the amount of free arsenious oxid 

 which may be present in Paris green used for spraying, without 

 injury to the foliage. This work will be of great value and will 

 enable the State experiment stations to determine the value of any 

 particular sample of Paris green for spraying purposes. 



Work was also begun during the past year ujjon a study of the 

 arsenic content of papers, wall jiapers, tapestries, and fabrics of vari- 

 ous kinds. It is a well-known fact that the presence of large quanti- 

 ties of arsenic in these goods is injurious to health. 



In collaboration with the Office of Experiment Stations (irrigation 

 investigations), work was begun upon a study of the water used for 

 irrigation purposes in the Western States, and especially in the rice 

 belt of Texas and Louisiana. It is expected that this work will be of 

 immense benefit to rice growers in enabling them to determine what 

 waters are most suitable for their purpose. An important feature of 

 this work is a study of the effect of the backing up of sea water con- 

 sequent upon the pumping of large quantities of water out of the low 

 streams of Louisiana. If the content of salt in the river rises to such 

 an extent as to be injurious to the rice crop, the irrigation investiga- 

 tions office will endeavor to make suggestions and assist the rice grow- 

 ers to other means of irrigation. 



Many samples of insecticides and fungicides have been analyzed 

 during the year in this laboratory, together with numerous samples 

 of irrigation waters. In several instances the water suj)ply of small 

 cities has been examined to determine its healthf ulness. 



The chief of this laboratory having been appointed referee on 

 insecticides and fungicides for the Association of Official Agricultural 

 Chemists, a large amount of work was done in cooperation with that 



