/210 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



HATCH FUND. 



''A study of the availability of organic aminoniates". This work is very 

 iriportant at this time owing to the fact that more and more attention is 

 >eing paid to the availabilty of organic ammoniates by both tlie fertilizer 

 manufacturer and the consumer. Investigation has been actively pushed 

 during the year. An article entitled, "Studies of the availability of 

 Organic Nitrogenous Compounds — Part I", was published in the Journal 

 of Industrial & Engineering Chemistry, Vol. 13, No, 10, p. 993, and two 

 articles dealing with the chemistry of the laboratoi'y method now com- 

 monly used for the determination of the relative value of commercial 

 organic ammoniates are in preparation. 



"The preparation of neutral solutions of Ammonium Citrate", Work 

 on this project has been continued in collaboration with the Association 

 of OflScial Agricultural Chemists. The methods of analyzing the solution 

 under consideration have been studied and an article entitled, "The 

 analysis of solutions of Ammonium Citrate", Avas 'j)ublished in the Journal 

 of the above mentioned Association, Vol. 5, No. 4, and further data will 

 be presented at the next meeting of the Association. As a result of this 

 Avork Dr. Eobinson was asked to serve as referee for the Association on 

 the subject of the preparation of neutral ammonium citrate. This subject 

 is of great interest to fertilizer manufacturers and control oflflcials. 



"The estimation of carbon-dioxide". This project has been closed, no 

 further work on it being 'contenrplated, except such collaborative work 

 as may be requested by the A. O. A. C. wliicli is investigating the methods 

 devised in this laiboratory for the analysis of baking powders. 



"The Hydrogen-ion concentration of human feces". Owing to lack of 

 help this project will be dropped. The results of the work already accom- 

 plished have been published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, Vol. 

 52, No. 2, p. 445. It was found that the normal fecal reaction of appar- 

 ently healthy men on mixed diets lies between pH 7.0 and 7.5, and that 

 the causes influencing the reaction are phj^siological rather than biolog- 

 ical. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 



Ninety-nine samples of a miscellaneous character were anah'zed during 

 the j^ear. In addition, collaborative work for the Association of Ofificial 

 Agricultural Chemists has been done on crude fiber, determination of 

 nitrogen in nitrates, sulfur in organic materials, phosphoric acid and 

 insecti'cides. 



At the last meeting of the said Association the writer was appointed 

 referee on the subject, "Inorganic Plant Constituents", and considerable 

 time has been spent on the development of methods for the determination 

 of iron and aluminum, manganese, calcium and magnesium in the presence 

 of a large excess of phosphoric acid such as obtains in the ash of seeds. 



During the fall of 1921 more than 400 samples of sugar beets were 

 tested for the Farm Crops Section and 60 samples were tested for the 

 Botanical Section. 



Urgent requests have been made upon us for co-operation on problems 

 now being conducted hj other sections of the Experiment Station, which 

 we have been unable to grant owing to lack of help. 



In conclusion, I desire to commend again the spirit of loyalty and 

 devotion exhibited by all the members of the staff during a most unusual 



