240 ANNUAL REPOKTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



Farm for the Bureau of Plant Industry, and the examination of 

 numerous samples of rocks, minerals, soils, etc., saipposed to be of 

 value as fertilizer. 



During the earlier part of the year research work on the composi- 

 tion of soil types was continued, but later this was abandoned on 

 account of the rush of AAar activities. After the signing of the.armis- 

 tice work was resumed upon this subject. The major research activi- 

 ties of the Chemical Division, however, have centered about the 

 chemical and mineralogical nature of the materials extracted from 

 soils by treatment with water. A number of minerals have been 

 identified in these products and it has been shown that the evaporated 

 water extract of soils leaves a residue showing considerable resem- 

 blance to the Stassfurt and other natural saline deposits. A mate- 

 rial, provisionally called ultra clay, has also been obtained by these 

 extractions and its properties are now being investigated. These 

 lines of work, together with the study of the chemistry of the soil 

 solution, now Avell under way, are in certain respects unique and give 

 promise of important results. 



The war activities consisted mainly of the analysis' of numerous 

 samples of zircon sands in cooperation with the Bureau of Mines, 

 the Geological Survey, and the Bureau of Standards. For some time 

 this work absorbed the whole attention of the division. The other 

 direct war activity consisted of the determination of the lime require- 

 ment and the preparation of various special soils for the Chemical 

 Warfare Section. 



The head of the division, Dr. E. C. Shorey, resigned and a new 

 liead was not appointed until the close of the j^ear. During the 

 greater part of the year a large part of the personnel of the division 

 Avas detailed to the Fertilizer Division for war work on nitrogen 

 products. 



FERTILIZER RESOURCES INVESTIGATIONS. 



FERTILIZER CONTROL. 



During the fiscal j^ear 1919 the Division of Fertilizer Resources 

 Investigations worked in cooperation with a number of other gov- 

 ernmental agencies on problems directly or indirectly connected with 

 fertilizers. Until the signing of the armistice the division assisted 

 the Office of Fertilizer Control, furnishing technical information 

 regarding fertilizers, their sources, supply, and manufacture, and 

 advising on many problems arising in Government control. With 

 the cessation of active hostilities and the disbanding of the emer- 

 gency organization certain phases of the work upon which the Office 

 of Fertilizer Control had been engaged were placed in charge of the 

 Bureau of Soils and became a part of the duties of this division. 



In response to complaints of farmers of the high cost of fertilizers, 

 an investigation was made of retail prices in the Southern and East- 

 ern States, where practically all the fertilizer used in this country 

 is consumed. In gathering these data the bureau was assisted by the 

 States Relations Service, working through its county agent organi- 

 zation. The results, published in circulars of the department series 

 and appertaining to conditions in the months of May and June, 1919, 

 showed not only excessively high prices in many parts of the country, 



