CONVENTION OF ASSOCIATION OP OFFICIAL AGRICULTURAL 



CHEMISTS. 1900. 



D. W. May, 



Office of Experiment Stationit. 



The seventeenth annual convention of the Association of Official 

 Ao-ricultural Cheiiiists met in the lecture hall of the Columbian Uni- 

 versit}', Washington. D. C, November 16, 17, 1900. Eighty -five 

 members and visitors were in attendance. The meetings were presided 

 over by the president, B. W. Kilgore. 



In his address the president of the Association faA'ored a national 

 I)ure-food law, and suggested phases for the cooperation of the official 

 agricultural chemists. The importance of a national standardizing 

 bureau under government control was also emphasized. Under the 

 subject of fertilizers the results of analyses, especially as printed on 

 liags. the misleading naming of special l)rands, and the importance of 

 a statement setting forth the materials composing the brands, were 

 <{uestions brought to the careful attention of the Association. The 

 value and the results of individual effort in the development or 

 improvement of methods of analysis were strongly brought out. As 

 an example of this, the president cited the development of the method 

 of estimating potash. Especial attention was called to the examination 

 of human foods, and the importance was urged of placing the subject 

 in subdivisions under experienced members of the Association. 



Adjournment was taken to accept an invitation of the National 

 Grange to attend a meeting of that order then in session in the city. 



FKKTILIZKRS. 



The work on methods of fertilizer analysis during the past year was 

 confined to testing some of the newer methods not yet adopted hy the 

 Association, or some particular points in the official methods. No 

 changes in the present methods were made, although several points 

 W'ere recommended for testing the coming year. 



Potash. — The referee, L. S. Munson, being absent, the report on 

 potash was read l)v the secretary. Samples were sent out for the pur- 

 pose of testing the application of the method of determining water- 

 soluble potash in fertilizers made up entirely or in part of organic 

 material: also to ascertain whether in mixtures of acid phosphate and 

 potash salts it was possible to obtain the theoretical amount of potash 

 added. 



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