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Duties. The State laboratories are at the disposal of 

 the public and undertake, according to a scale of fees 

 fixed by the Minister, the analyses of fertilizers, of human 

 and animal food products, of agricultural products and the 

 testing of seeds. 



Besides this they have also two special services to 

 fulfil : 



i To control the goods delivered by manufacturers and 

 merchants who have accepted the control of the State 

 laboratories ; 



2 To analyse samples in execution of the regulations 

 relative to the superintendance of food products. 



Publications. The directors-are required to issue an 

 annual report on the work done in the laboratories. 



They have to state the number and nature of the 

 samples analysed, and the origin and average maximum 

 and minimum composition of the same. 



They also indicate the facts of general interest which 

 they may have noticed concerning the manufacture of and 

 trade, in fertilizers, and agricultural foods, and they 

 draw attention to new articles on the market. 



The Bulletin de V Agriculture publishes these reports 

 which can be obtained from the directors of the labora- 

 tories. 



Uniformity of analytical methods. The Minister 

 arranges for conferences of the directors of the State 

 laboratories to discuss the means of improving analytical 

 methods. 



PRIVATE CHEMISTS EMPLOYED BY THE STATE 



The Minister of Agriculture may ask private laboratories 

 to examine in the shortest time possible, manures, seeds 

 and feeding stuffs delivered to farmers. 



A Royal Decree of the 12 th of August 1896 and a 

 Ministerial Decree of the 29 th of November 1896 state the 

 conditions to be fulfilled by chemists who have to analyse 

 these materials. 



Actually 18 chemists are employed by the State and 

 have to analyse about five or six hundred samples. 



