906 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XII. No. 311. 



related lines of work without, however, 

 interfering in any way with the integrity 

 of the organization of the several Divisions. 

 He reports the afiQliation in this manner of 

 four important Divisions closely allied by 

 the nature of their work under the name of 

 the Office of Plant Industry. 



LABORATORY BUILDINGS. 



An urgent recommendation is made for 

 the erection of new, fireproof laboratory 

 buildings, which, it is estimated, will cost 

 about $200,000. 



DIFFICULTY OF RETAINING EXPERTS. 



One of the problems constantly recurring 

 to the head of the Department is the diffi- 

 culty of retaining in the service some of 

 the mostcapableand efficient of its workers. 

 During the past year three valuable workers 

 were lost to the Department, and other 

 losses are threatened, owing to the tempting 

 offers made to Department experts from 

 other sources. The Secretary recommends 

 that Congress place it in his power to ex- 

 ercise a wider discretion in the matter of 

 salaries to responsible officers. 



ARLINGTON FARM. 



Under the authority of Congress work 

 has been begun on the Arlington estate 

 with a view to establishing an experimental 

 farm on the land set apart for the use of 

 the Department. 



DOMESTIC SILK CULTURE. 



In 1899 the United States paid over $32,- 

 000,000 for imported raw silk, and in 1900 

 over $45,000,000. The Secretary believes 

 that a large amount of cheap and now un- 

 employed labor among the colored j'outh in 

 the Southern States could be made available 

 for domestic silk culture ; and he desires an 

 appropriation of $10,000 to set on foot re- 

 search regarding the production of silk, to 

 the end that the money now paid to foreign 

 labor be distributed at home. 



SIANDARD 3IETH0DS OF WATER ANALYSIS.* 



As its first report of progress, the Com- 

 mittee on Standard Methods of "Water Anal- 

 ysis presents the results of a careful inquiry 

 into the present status of this general sub- 

 ject. This step was deemed necessary in 

 order to bring to the Committee needed 

 information for its guidance in its future 

 plans of action. 



About 125 copies of a circular letter, with 

 an accompanying list of questions, were 

 sent to leading workers. The number of 

 detailed replies was fewer than should have 

 been the case. Nevertheless, these replies, 

 with the knowledge which the members of 

 this Committee have as to the methods used 

 in the more prominent laboratories, enable 

 us to present a substantially correct resume 

 of existing conditions, as given in the fol- 

 lowing pages. 



Collection of Samples. — Upon the subject of 

 collection of samples the replies to the ques- 

 tion sent to various workers were practi- 

 cally unanimous, and may be summarized 

 as follows : 



Bottles for chemical samples should have 

 a capacity of one gallon, should be made of 

 clear white glass in order to facilitate in- 

 spection, and should have glass stoppers. 

 They should be washed each time before 

 use with sulphuric acid and potassium bi- 

 chromate, or with alkaline permanganate, 

 followed by sulphuric acid ; they should 

 then be thoroughly rinsed and drained. For 

 shipment the stoppers and necks of the 

 bottles should be protected with cloth tied 

 over them. They should be packed in cases 

 with separate compartments for each bottle, 

 and lined with indented fiber paper, felt or 

 some similar substance, or provided with 



* Report presented at the Indianapolis meeting of 

 the American Public Health Association by a commit- 

 tee comprising Mr. George W. Fuller, chairman ; Mr. 

 George C. Whipple, secretary ; Mr. Harry W. Clark, 

 Dr. Adolph Gehrmann, Dr. Wyatt Johnston, Dr. E. 

 O. Jordan and Dr. H. L. Russell. 



