CONVENTION OF OFFICIAL AGRICULTURAL CHEMISTS. 511 



SUGAR. 



The report of the referee on sugar, R. L. Hiltner, reviewed briefly 

 the work of the Association on the subject, aud gave the results of 

 tests of methods by 7 analysts on a sample of beet molasses. 



The Carr and Sanborn and the quartz-sand methods for water deter- 

 mination were made provisional. Creydt's method for raffinose and 

 sucrose was also made provisional. 



The secretary was directed to thoroughly revise all the methods for 

 sugar, omitting (/>) and (c) of the present official methods, and under 

 (e) giving directions tor the preparation of the permanganate solution 

 used, 1 and incorporating in the methods the statement that the deter- 

 mination of water by means of density is not applicable to low-grade 

 products. 



EL W. Wiley called attention to the fact that efforts to secure inter- 

 national agreement as to methods of sugar analysis are meeting with 

 considerable success. He therefore thought it unwise to make any 

 radical changes in methods of sugar analysis at the present time. 



TANNIN. 



The referee on this subject, J. H. Yocum, reported the results of 

 comparative tests of methods by 20 analysts on chestnut- wood extract, 

 hemlock liquor, and an artificial tannin extract. Incidentally tests 

 were made of 2 samples of hide powder. Numerous recommendations 

 of the referee relating to quantity of material, directions for drying, 

 filtration, preparation of hide powder, etc., were adopted by the Asso- 

 ciation. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 



The report of the abstract committee was presented by E. W. Allen, 

 chairman. This report showed that the abstracts of literature relating 

 to analytical methods covered 60 pages of the current volumes of the 

 Experiment Station Record, beginning with Vol. 9, No. 4, and covering 

 Vol. 10, No. 3. 



A paper entitled "Report on an investigation of methods for the 

 determination of nicotin in tobacco powders and extracts," by E. A. de 

 Schweinitz, J. A. Emery, and F. K. Cameron, was presented to the 

 Association. This paper reported the results of tests of different 

 methods of determining nicotin, including Kissliug's, Lloyd's, and 

 the optical methods, with the results of special investigations by A. L. 

 Winton aud E. A. de Schweinitz and associates. Six analysts in dif- 

 ferent parts of the country took part in the comparison of methods. 

 The results show the unreliability of the methods that are at present 

 available for the determination of nicotin. This matter was deemed of 

 such great importance, that the Association voted to appoint referees 

 on the subject of insecticides and fungicides, who should be charged 



1 U. S. Dept. Agr., Division of Chemistry Bui. 46, p. 56. 

 12342— No. 6 2 



