428 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



come to the (^oiu-lusioii in this c-ountry that food products not g"Ood 

 enough for the peo])le in the countries in whicii they arc produced are 

 not good enough for us. The enforcement of the law Avas reported as 

 l)eing heartily welcomed by American merchants. The establishment 

 by the Federal (xovernment of interstate pure food laws was consid- 

 ered desirable. 



The total attendance at the convention exceeded that in previous 

 3'ears. Nevertheless, toward the close, when final action was taken 

 upon the more important matters, such as the adoption of methods, 

 the actual attendance was quite small. Reports were received from 

 all of the referees and from man}^ of the associate referees, and sev- 

 eral papers were I'ead. These and the action of the association are 

 referred to in the following summar}^ under appropriate headings. 



PHOSPHORIC ACID. 



The referee on this subject, B. H. Hite, reported that no coopera- 

 tive work was undertaken by him during the year, but that attention 

 had been paid in his laborator}' to certain modifications of well-known 

 methods, involving the weighing of the yellow precipitate, a report 

 upon which was considered inadvisable at the present time. The 

 report of the associate referee dealt with comparative tests of the 

 gravimetric and volumetric methods for the determination of total 

 phosphoric acid in soils. The determination of phosphoric acid in 

 different classes of phosphates was discussed by several members of 

 the association. 



In a communication from E. W. Hilgard, attention was called to the 

 desirability of a better method for the valuation of basic phosphatic 

 slags, and on account of the growing conmiercial importance of this 

 class of fertilizers the association was urged to take up again the con- 

 sideration of this question. The referee for next year was accordingl}' 

 instructed to reconsider this question, with special regard to the estab- 

 lishment of a standard for total phosphoric acid and degree of fineness. 

 Further study of Redonda and precipitated phosphates was also recom- 

 mended. A paper on the determination of phosphorus in organic 

 materials was presented in this connection. 



Report of associate referee, C. B. AVilliams. — The volumetric and gravimetric 

 methods for the determination of total phosphoric acid in soils were compared by 

 the associate referee and two other analysts. The average results by the gravimetric 

 method were higher than by the volumetric method. The volumetric method was 

 believed to be preferable to the gravimetric method, and was reconunended for 

 adoption as an optional method for the iletermination of total phosphoric acid in 

 soils. Further sttidy of different solvents for jihosphoric acid in soils was also 

 recommended. 



The determination of organic and inorganic phosphorus in vegetable and 

 animal materials, E. B. Hakt and W. H. Andrews. — The work reported was 

 directed mainly to the elaboration of a method for the determination of inorganic 



