REPORT OF THE CHEMIST. 95 
confirmed the great value of this new source of tannin as will appear 
in the analysis given, effort was made to cbtain some of the green root 
in a fresh state, but as there were no funds available which could be 
used to pay the expenses of an agent to examine this subject thoroughly 
upon the ground, and hunt up the botanical history of the plant upon 
its native soil, there was nothing left for the department to do but to 
correspond and endeavor to obtain such information as possible through 
correspondence with persons living in the vicinity where it was said to 
erow. As this region is unsettled and in an almost wild portion of 
Northwestern Texas, in which the department had no regular correspond- 
ents, it was not until after some months that we were able to obtain by 
mail a small package of the green roots and an imperfect history of its 
growth. Some of these rocts were subjected to an analysis, and the 
results fully confirmed the former examination made with the dried ma- 
terial. The remainder was planted with the view of developing the 
foliage of the plant, and determining its botanical relation. It proved 
to be a Rumex, but the exact determination requires further develop- 
ment than we have been able as yet to obtain from the plants grown in 
our propagating beds. 
Such efforts will be continued as are possible with the limited means at 
the command of the department to obtain enough specimens of the seed 
of this remarkable plant to make a fair experiment in its cultivation 
and utilization, to the analysis of which the particular attention of those 
to whom this subject will prove of especial interest is called. In fur- 
therance of an increased acquaintance with the tannin-producing plants 
of the world which may probably be grown with success in our own 
country, an interesting article upon the cultivation of the “wattle” for 
its bark, which is the chief source of tannin in Australia, has been pre- 
pared, and is published in this report as additional information upon 
this important subject. 
WILLIAM G. Lz DUC, 
Conmissioner of Agriculture. 
REPORT OF THE CHEMIST. 
Sm: I have the honor to submit the following report of the work of 
the Chemical Division of the Department of Agriculture during the past 
year: 
The work may be summarized as follows: 
1. Examination of minerals, including calcareous, phosphatic, and 
gypseous marls, rock phosphates, &c.; and assays of ores of the various 
metals (184 specimens in all). 
2. Analysis of porcelain clay (2 specimens). 
3. Analyses of mineral, spring, and well waters (12 in number). 
4, Analyses of soils (11 in number). 
5. Analyses of sugar beets (57 in all). 
6. Analyses of cane, maize, and sorghum sugars (8 samples). 
7. Analysis of beet sirup. 
8. Analysis of ash of maize sirup. 
9. Analyses ef ash of sorghum sirup (2 samples). 
19. Analyses of sorghum sirup (5 samples). 
