CONVENTION OF OFFICIAL A< IRK TLTHRAL CHEMISTS. 329 



official, and the thiosulphate method, using twentieth-normal instead 

 of deci-normal thiosulphate, was made optional. The volumetric silver- 

 nitrate method, for determining cyanogen in potassium cyanid, was 

 adopted as official, using twentieth-normal instead of deci-normal solu- 

 tion of silver nitrate, and the Kissling method for nicotin was also 

 made official. The Blank and Finkenbiener peroxid method was 

 adopted as official for formaldehyde in strong solutions and the 

 Romjyn potassium-cyanid method for analyzing dilute solutions. The 

 hydrogen-peroxid method, suggested by Avery, for determining sulphur 

 in sulphur dips and similar compounds was made a provisional method, 

 to be further tested by the association. 



MISCELLANEOUS REPORTS. 



Foods and feeding stuff's. — The referee on this subject stated that 

 no cooperative work had been done and that there was no report to be 

 made. 



Food standards. — The committee on food standards presented a 

 report prepared by the chairman, W. Frear, which was read by the 

 secretary. It gave a brief account of a conference with representa- 

 tives of manufacturers and others with respect to standards for articles 

 not included in the schedules proclaimed November 20, 1903. No 

 results of this meeting were given. The committee has prepared for 

 publication at an early date tentative standards for articles belonging 

 to the schedules of cereals and their milling- products, fruits, honey, 

 salad oils, vinegar, and fruit juices. 



Medicinal plants and drugs. — L. F. Kebler, referee, submitted the 

 report on this subject, emphasizing the need of standards and of more 

 careful tests of these materials. 



Testing of chemicals and apparatus. — The report of the committee 

 on this subject, appointed to cooperate with a similar committee of the 

 American Chemical Society, emphasized the need of more careful cali- 

 bration of apparatus and tests of the chemicals used. 



Fertilizer legislation. — H. W. Wiley, as chairman of the committee 

 on fertilizer legislation, submitted a brief report. It was suggested 

 that standards of purity for fertilizers and fertilizing materials might 

 be adopted as has been done in the case of foods, and as a tentative 

 step in this direction definitions of the terms "fertilizer" and "fer- 

 tilizer ingredient" and of what constitutes adulteration were submit- 

 ted. There was considerable discussion of the desirability of drafting 

 a national law controlling interstate commerce in fertilizers, which 

 would include definitions along the line of those enumerated, but no 

 definite action was taken. A communication was read from E. W. Hil- 

 gard regarding the subject of uniform fertilize]- legislation and the 

 enactment of a Federal law (the latter not being regarded with favor), 

 and referring specificall}' to the California fertilizer law. 



