4 BULLETIN 56S, TJ. S. DEPARTMEXT OF AGRICULTURE. 



which were of the Fuggle variety, do riot differ essentially from those 

 of the remaining samples, which were of the English Cluster variety. 



Samples 178 and 186, taken from yards which were not sprayed, 

 showed practically the same quantity of arsenic as the samples from 

 yards sprayed with a solution of whale-oil soap and quassia. 



The quantities of arsenic found in the unsulphured samples were 

 far below the limit of 0.01 grain per pound (1.4 parts per million) set 

 in England by the Royal Commission on Arsenical Poisoning. 



Table I. — Arsenic in sun-dried unsulphured hops grown at Independence, Orcg., in 1915. 



No. 



Source of sample. 



Arsenic as As.,03 

 (part per million). 



No. 



Source of sample. 



Arsenic as As 2 3 

 (part per million). 



176 



Yard A 



0.2 

 .2 

 . 2 



!i 

 .1 

 .1 

 .3 



196 

 199 

 201 



202 



Yard G 



0.2 



177 



.do. 



YardH 



.2 



178 



Yard B 



YardI 



. 1 



185 



Yard C 



do 



. 1 



1S6 



1S7 





Average 





Yard E 



.16 



194 



Yard F 











The quantities of arsenic found in samples of sulphured hops are 

 given in Table II. Where possible, samples of the sulphur used in 

 curing these hops were collected and analyzed. The results of these 

 analyses also are given in Table II. 



Of the 26 samples of kiln-dried hops only four, of which two were 

 duplicates, contained less than 1 part of arsenic per million parts of 

 hops. The average results show that whereas unsulphured hops 

 contain no appreciable quantity of arsenic, hops which were treated 

 with fumes from sulphur having about 100 parts of arsenic (As 2 3 ) 

 per million contained about 3 or 4 parts of arsenic per million parts 

 of hops. 



On account of the irregularity of distribution of arsenic in the 

 sulphur, it is not possible to be sure that any sample of hops was 

 treated with sulphur of exactly the composition of the sample taken 

 to represent the sulphur. The quantity of sulphur used is also 

 variable, ranging from 1 to 4 pounds of sulphur for 25 pounds of 

 dried hops. Notwithstanding all these chances for disagreement, 

 the results in Table II show in general a relation between the 

 quantities of arsenic in the hops and in the sulphur used in curing. 

 The quantities of arsenic in the hops average about 3 or 4 per cent 

 of the quantity in the sulphur used in curing. On this basis sulphur 

 containing 25 or 30 parts of arsenic per million would on the average 

 contaminate hops with about 1 part of arsenic per million parts 

 of hops. If the arsenic is unevenly distributed through the sul- 

 phur it is possible that some samples of hops might contain much 

 more arsenic than the quantity which would correspond to the arsenic 

 in the sulphur. 



