REPORT OF THE CHEMIST. 



Sir : I have the honor to present the following report of work per- 

 formed in the chemical division of the department since the 27tli cf 

 May, 1879 — the work accomplished previous to that period having been 

 included in the annual report for 1878. 



The following is a summary of the work done : 



1. Analyses and assays of minerals and ores, including calcareous 

 and phosphatic marls (152 in number). 



2. Analyses of mineral, spring, and well waters (6 in number). 



3. Analyses of soils (8 in number). 



4. Analyses of super-phosphates and commercial fertilizers (20 in 

 number). 



5. Analysis of rock-salt from Iberia Parish, Louisiana. 



6. Analyses of wines and liquors (13 in number). 



7. Analysis of paint. 



8. Analyses of butter and oleomargarine (5 in number). 



9. Analyses of poisons (6 in number). 



10. Analyses of sugar-beets (9 in number). 



11. Complete proximate analyses of grains, including corn, rice, wheat, 

 sorghum, and doura-corn (24 in number). 



12. Complete proximate analyses of native grasses (52 in number). 



13. Complete proximate analyses of stalks, bagasse, and leaves of 

 sorghum and maize (9 in number). 



14. Analyses for sucrose, glucose, and other solids in different varie- 

 ties of sorghum, maize, pearl millet, sugar-cane, watermelon, &c. (232 

 in number). 



15. Complete proximate analyses of medicinal and poisonous plants (7 

 in number). 



16. Analyses of juices from sorghum, maize, and pearl millet (59 in 

 number). 



17. Complete proximate analyses of green corn and cobs (4 in number). 



18. Complete proximate analyses of precipitates obtained in defecation 

 of juices from sorghum (3 in number). 



19. Experiments in making alcohol from sorghum and corn-stalk 

 molasses (5 in number). 



20. Analyses of baking-powders (2 in number). 



21. Analyses of coffee-berries, artificially colored (12 in number). 



22. Analyses of powders used in artificially coloring coffee (3 in 

 number). 



23. Estimation of tannin in sumac. 



24. Analysis of ash of maize. 



25. Analysis of sorghum sugar. 



26. Analysis of lignite. 



27. Proximate analyses of hay (5 samples). 



28. Analysis of salts from evaporated lake water, Lake Yiew, Oregon. 



29. Proximate analysis of tuckahoe. 



30. Effect of cooking upon cane-sugar. 



31. Analysis of fresco efflorescence. 



32. Experiments in making sugar from four (4) varieties of sorghum, 

 pearl millet, sweet corn, field corn-stalks, and watermelons (35 in all). 



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