EXPERIMENT STATION REPORTS. 1G7 



REPORT OF THE CHEMIST. 



Dirocloi' R. S. Shaw, College. 



Doni- Sir — I herewith submit the following report of the Chemical 

 division for the year ending June 30th, 1913. 



CHANGES IN STAFF. 



Mr. Arao Ttano, assistant chemist, resigned early in the fall to accept 

 a position with the Division of Bacteriology. This vacancy was not 

 tilled until June, 1913, Avhen Mr. Arthur K. Hart, a graduate of the 

 T jiiversity of Michigan, was engaged. During the year Mr. O. F. Jensen 

 a member of the class of 1914, has rendered valuable assistance. 



FERTILIZIOR INSPECTION. 



During the season of 1912, 52(5 samples of commercial fertilizer were 

 collected by inspectors sent out from this oftice. Of this number 298 

 samples were analyzed. The results of the inspection emphasize the fact 

 that the manufacturers are very satisfactorily fulfilling the requirements 

 of the law as far as the quantity of plant-food is concerned. In addi- 

 tion to the regular fertilizer analyses we also made a study of the 

 quality of the nitrogen contained in the fertilizers and the results show 

 that the nitrogen furnished in many of the commercial fertilizers sold in 

 the state is of distinctly low grade. 



This work will be repeated on the fertilizers collected this year after 

 which it is planned to make the study of the quality of the nitrogen 

 furnished in the fertilizers a regular part of the inspection. 



During the last session of the Legislature a slight change was made 

 in the fertilizer law but its operation will not be affected. 



MISCELLANEOUS WORK. 



One hundred and sixty-one samples were analyzed during the year 

 for residents of the state and it is of interest to note that of this num- 

 ber there were 77 samples of marl, limestone and lime products. Many 

 more samples of marl were received and reported upon without being 

 analyzed. A large number of soil samples have been received throughout 

 the year, the largest number in any one day being 19. All of these 

 samples have been tested for acidity and reports made to the senders. 



The time of one chemist has been almost completely occupied during 

 the year with the samples sent to the laboratory. 



Some time has also l)een given to co-operating on methods of analysis 

 for the Association of Official Agricultural Chemists. The writer was 

 appointed last fall as referee for the association on the determination 

 of phos])horic acid in Basic Slag. 



For the Horticultural division, complete analyses were made of the 

 fruit, leaves and new wood of 2 varieties of gooseberries, and 3 varieties 

 of currants, in order to determine the amount of plant-food removed from 

 the soil by each variety during the season. This alone necessitated the 

 making of more than 200 separate determinations. 



