INTRODUCTORY LETTER. 



UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, 



Washington, D. C., January 26, 1888. 



SIR: Complying with your instructions I beg to submit herewith for 

 your approval Bulletin No. 17 of the Division of Chemistry, containing 

 a record of the experiments made by your direction in the manufacture 

 of sugar from sorghum and sugar canes. 



The bulletin is divided into three parts, viz : 



PART I, experiments icith sorghum at Fort Scott. Containing the re- 

 port of M. Sweuson; drawings and description of apparatus; a digest 

 of the report of E. B. Cowgill to the State board of agriculture at 

 Topeka, Kans.; and a statement of the action taken by the Depart- 

 ment in respect of certain letters patent granted to M. Swenson for the 

 use of lime carbonates in the cells of the battery. 



PART II, experiments at Rio Grande. Containing the report of H. A. 

 Hughes, drawings and description of apparatus used, and analytical 

 Dotes. 



PART III, experiments in Louisiana. Containing the report of H. W. 

 Wiley of the results of the experiments conducted at Lawrence, La. 



In obedience to your further orders, I took charge of the chemical 

 work of the three stations. During the summer of 1887 the necessary 

 apparatus and chemicals were purchased and sent to the several stations. 

 Of my assistants, C. A. Crampton and N". J. Fake were directed to take 

 charge of the analytical work at Fort Scott, and were furnished with 

 written instructions for their guidance in taking samples and the gen- 

 eral method of analyses to be followed. 



F. V. Broadbeut and H. Edsou were sent to Kio Grande. They had 

 the same instructions as were given my assistants at Fort Scott. In 

 addition to this I personally directed the beginning of their work. On 

 October 14, 1887, Mr. Broadbent resigned his position in the Department 

 for the purpose of pursuing his studies abroad. Mr. Edson from that 

 date had sole charge of the analytical work until the end of the season. 



On April 2, 1887, G. L. Spencer was sent to Fort Scott to secure the 

 removal of certain machinery to Lawrence and joined Mr. Barthelemy 

 in the work of preparation at that station,. 



At the close of the work at Fort Scott, Dr. Cramptou and Mr. Fake 



also came to Lawrence to assist in the chemical work at that place. 



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