Report of the Chemist for Agriculture. 215 



that leaves our shores should carry with it the Departmental 

 Chemist's certificate of pm-ity. In the few facts brought forward 

 to illustrate the functions of an office of this kind, it will be seen 

 there is unlimited room for the chemist's activity in safeguarding and 

 furthering agricultural interests." 



The work of the past year was carried forward on these lines. 

 A prominent feature of the laboratory operations of the twelve 

 months has been an extensive analysis of manures and bluestones 

 with the view to the detection of low grade or adulterated articles 

 on the market. Both articles, however, have generally speaking 

 come up to approved standards of quality. The analysis of 38 

 samples of bluestone collected from various sources showed an 

 average impurity of less than \ per cent, of sulphate of iron. The 

 manures, with few exceptions, have either equalled or exceeded the 

 guaranteed standard of the invoice certificate, A serious cause of 

 complaint, however, is the frequency with which manures appear to 

 be sold in the country without the required certificate. It is also 

 noticed that farmers in the North still appear to purchase nitro- 

 superphosphates rather extensively. Experiments have shown that 

 for the present at any rate the soils of the North do not require 

 nitrogen, and it is a waste of money in purchasing manures con- 

 taining this ingredient. Farmers in the North are advised not to 

 buy nitro-superphosphates. 



Bacteriological and Microscopic Work. 



The work of this section has been Avell carried out by my Bio- 

 logical Chemist, Mr. Price. There were 96 samples of water re- 

 ceived for bacteriological and microscopic examination during the 

 year. Periodical examinations were made of a number of the large 

 inland supplies. These included Ballarat, Beudigo, Geelong, Mal- 

 don, Mildura, Donald, Charlton, Maryborough, Castlemaine, Boort, 

 Kyneton, Talbot, Moolort, Tallangatta, Bright, Evansford, Mount 

 Emu, Neerim, Korumburra and Warragul. In addition to waters 

 for sanitary purposes, a number of samples were also received from 

 butter factories. 



Bacteriological examinations were also made of a number of 

 butters sent in through the Dairy Branch from country districts 

 for prize competition, and photographs taken of the cultures for in- 

 formation as to the bacterial condition of the exhibits. 



The examination of bone meals, poultry feeds, iams, meats, etc., 

 for adulterations, also involved a good deal of microscopic investi- 

 gation. The large use of the microscope in the mechanical analysis 

 of soils added also very considerably to the work of this section of 

 the branch. In the soil investigations of the futui'e, this section 

 should have a sphere of great usefulness. 



Educational Work. 



The extension of the field operations of the branch, and the 

 •daily meetings of the various field officers with farmers in all parts 



