1907.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 33. 77 



Part II. — Report on General Work in the 

 Chemical Laboratory. 



C. A. GOESSMANN. 



1. Analyses of materials forwarded for examination. 



2. Notes on wood ashes and lime ashes. 



1. Analyses of Materials forwarded for Examination. 



During the year 343 samples of miscellaneous substances 

 have been received from farmers within our State. These 

 samples have been analyzed as expeditiously as possible, the 

 samples being taken up, as a rule, in the order of their 

 arrival at this office ; although precedence is sometimes given 

 to farmers' clubs, grange organizations and private parties, 

 who depend upon the results of our analysis as a basis for 

 settlement for their fertilizers. We have most time at our 

 disposal for this class of work from the middle of December 

 until the first of April, as during this time we are not en- 

 gaged in the annual inspection of commercial fertilizers. 

 Whenever practical, it would be well for those who desire a 

 speedy return of results of analyses to take advantage of this 

 fact, and send samples for analysis before the beginning of 

 our inspection season. 



During the year we have been in co-operation with the 

 Association of Official Agricultural Chemists, studying new 

 methods of analyses of soils, fertilizers and insecticides. 

 This is a very important part of the joractical chemists' 

 work, and time should be taken every year for this co-opera- 

 tive investigation. 



The year has seen some new developments along the line 

 of producing valuable agricultural compounds for fertiliz- 

 ing purposes. These developments have naturally inclined 



