104 HATCH EXPERIMENT STATION. [Jan. 



Part II. — Report o:n" Gen^eral Work zn" the 

 Chemical Laboratory. 



C. A. GOESSMANN. 



1. Analyses of materials forwarded for examiuation. 



2. Notes on wood ashes and lime ashes. 



3. Notes on phosjahatic slag and experiments with native 



phosphates. 



1. Analyses of Materials ropavARDED for 

 Examination. 



This department of our work has been of tlie same general 

 character as in past years. We have received during the 

 season 283 samples of miscellaneous substances from farmers 

 within our State for analysis ; this is 48 more than was re- 

 ceived during the season of 1903. 



As far as time and facilities permit, Ave have devoted our 

 attention to the examination of this class of materials, the 

 substances being taken up for analjsis in the order of their 

 arrival at this oliice. During the season of the official in- 

 spection of connnercial fertilizers, April 1 to November, our 

 time is so completely occupied that work in this class of 

 general materials, for the benefit of individual farmers, has 

 to give place, in a measure, to the control Avork of inspec- 

 tion. For this reason we would urge those sending samples 

 for free analysis to forward them, so far as possible, between 

 November 1 and April l,thus insuring more prompt reports 

 in results of analysis. 



As in the past, we have taken an active part in the technical 

 work of the Association of Official Agricultural Chemists for 

 the establishment of new methods of analysis. Many deter- 

 minations were made on samples forwarded by the association 

 to test the efficacy of several new methods of detei'mining 

 potash and the various forms of phosi)horic acid. 



