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   -·%¢ DIVISION OF CHEMISTRY
  -°-’   ·-    
    .   . “
         
 ii? M. A. SCOVELL D‘f7'(5(}`f`O’I'. ’
      '
  In all, some 1692 samples were analyzed in 1901, including
  jig;   706 commercial fertilizers and fertilizer materials analyzed by
  _—4‘ f   Messrs. Curtis, Seherffius and Roberts, under the fertilizer law;
    487 foods and food materials, by Mr. La Bach, under the food law;
  and 499 samples of agricultural products, soils, waters, rocks, etc.,
  2; :5- . . .
    most of which were analyzed by Mr. L. O. Beatty, under the direc-
    tion of the writer, in connection with the general work of the
  tation. Besides the samples enumerated, a great many specimens
·:·7Y;&;i¢§$ ..5 igg    ‘ . . _ _ _ ,
 p-,=:,-gy of various materials have been qualitatively examined and reported
-=»*a,~;~e·»-"é_.   i- .
  5.     u on without entr u on the laborator records. ‘
    P . Y P . ‘ Y . . .
·     Much attention was given to the examination of soils, at the
      request of farmers for the f l ` t' l t`
  as .,,,. ._, purpose 0 ma {ing prac iea sugges ions
·ifE¤l*&`?2     . i ,
 @;;._. g< for the improvement of the land and the use of commercial fer-
.‘·&E€:¤.¢z.:a: iz-.; gi- . ..,,_
  .·.;=:;  tilizers. In making such su eeestions the chemist has been guided
   ef . °° ’ . . .
    by the amounts of mineral plant food dissolved from the soil by '
. . +:j¤~:g ‘?e  . . . I
 fz  fifth—normal nitric acid, often supplemented by the knowledge of
-5;.   _ .-      ....
   :5 ;;  the amount of reserve plant food in the soil, determined by diges- »
-¤..;_;`- ‘f__ 3 sg ;  . . . . . . .
    l?l0Il H1 l1yCiI`0Clll0I‘1C aC1d of 1.115 specific gravity, according to
    the official method. Our experience with this method seems to
».·—    sgg sgf  . . . . .
    confirm the belief that it is capable of furnishing valuable data
 ’C,·-aa,-_w     . . . . . . .
 ef,  for Judging whether or not a soil is well supplied with mineral
: ,     -1;-    ’ " . . .
  plant food and what kind it most needs. The demand for this l
  kind of work is steadily increasing among our farmers.
 ~.-   .3-* 3  ` . . .
   _j;_, -W Most of the analyses of commercial fertilizers have been pub-
  ‘  Z:-»j  ·  f     >_ . . . l .
  lished in Bulletins 95 and 97, and the analyses of foods will be
  as .   ·.  · · · ·
 i included in a bulletin soon to be issued. All other analyses thought
    worthy of permanent record except those of grasses and forage
  C22 .=·:s» e ’ .°
    plants, which have been reserved for a bulletin, No. 98, are here-
  with submitted for publication in your fourteenth annual report.
I;          
      Very reereelfully.
      ’ L 
      Anrmm M. Parnu.
     
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