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C.-AGRICULTURAL CHEMISTRY.

To the President:

Sir:--I have the honor to report upon the work of the Department of Agricultural Chemistry for the past year.

Teaching Force: Owing to the assignment of both myself and Mr. J. A. Fries, Assistant in Agricultural Chemistry, to the service contributed by the College to the educational work of the State system of Farmers' Institutes, last year, a re-arrangement of class work became necessary.

The work in advanced methods in agricultural analysis and in rural technology was assigned to Mr. Chas. A. Browne, Jr., M. A., Assistant Chemist of the Experiment Station, whose experience especially qualified him for this service.

The instruction in Dairy Chemistry and laboratory practice in the analysis of milk and its products by processes adapted to creamery use, was given this year as last, to students in the Short Courses in Creamery Practice and Cheese-making by Mr. M. E. McDonnell, M. S., Assistant Chemist, in addition to his work of instruction in Dairy Bacteriology with the same students.

The lectures on agricultural chemistry usually delivered by myself to the sopohmore class during the Winter term, were postponed by an an exchange of time with Dr. Armsby and Prof. Fernald, until the Spring session.

The Short Course in Agriculture having been postponed until the beginning of March on account of the absence of several of the teachers in institute work, it became necessary for me to attempt, during the Spring term, to deliver the lectures of that Course, those of the sophomore class postponed from the Winter term, those of the freshman class beginning agricultural chemistry and those of the seniors electing special work in agricultural chemistry, in addition to conducting the work of the junior class, Agricultural Course, in meteorology with practicum. The practicums of the seniors including thesis work were conducted under my general supervision by Mr. Browne, and that of the freshmen in the properties of plant and animal substances by Mr. Fries.

This concentration of work into one term was detrimental to my classes and myself and it is gratifying to me that different arrangements have been found possible for the coming year.

At the close of the College year, Mr. Fries having arranged to engage in special service for the coming year under the supervision of the Director of the Experiment Station, Mr. Browne was appointed

to act in his stead as Assistant in Agricultural Chemistry and in that capacity has had direct charge of the laboratory instruction in special methods of analysis applicable to milk and its products and to fats and oils in general, given to the seniors electing options in dairying and in agricultural chemistry.

I desire, at this point, to express my appreciation of the interest and highly efficient services of Messrs. Browne, Fries and McDonnell in connection with the work outlined above.

During the Fall term, I delivered the regular course of lectures in agricultural chemistry, sophomore year, and a series of lectures on the chemistry of milk and its products to the seniors taking options in diarying and agricultural chemistry.

Fellowship in Agricultural Chemistry: Under the provisions of the Board of Trustees for a fellowship in agricultural chemistry, an examination was held, and the fellowship awarded to Mr. Wm. A. Hutchison, B. S., of Warrior's Mark, Pa., a graduate of the Agricul tural Course, class of 1898. He has undertaken as a special subject of study, "The Technology of Milling and the Chemistry of Wheat Milling-Products," and has made a valuable series of analyses of the spring-and-winter-wheat brans on sale in Pennsylvania as a part of his work upon the subject. It is my belief that this fellowship will be most useful if, while a certain amount of general study be required, a very considerable fraction of the hours be devoted to a systematic and somewhat exhaustive study of some special subject of especial interest to the holder of the fellowship.

Senior Thesis:---In guiding the seniors taking the option in agricultural chemistry, in the selection of the subjects for their investigations, the results of which are presented in their senior theses, the effort has been made to secure subjects that require a considerable measure of original work, with the hope that the results may form a contribution of some scientific value. In accordance with this plan, Mr. A. Otto Hiester, whose practicum had been especially devoted to the methods of sugar analysis, made a careful study of the melassigenic action of the several more important mineral salts present in the juices of sugar-beets under certain conditions of concentration of solution, temperature and duration of exposure to heat. The results were of value, though largely negative in character.

Messrs. W. A. Hutchison and E. V. Rawn undertook a careful study of the change in the tanning value of various barks during decay, both such as occurs during exposure upon the dead tree or stump and that occurring in the piled bark. The results form a valuable contribution to the chemistry of tanning, showing clearly a great loss of tanning value in bark exposed to rain and snow, but in decaying bark piles protected from leaching, little, if any diminution, in the percentage of tanning present in the decayed, as compared with sound bark of the same species.

During this year, except when during my absence attending Farmers' Institute, Prof. Watson acted in my stead, I have served as Division Officer for the College students in agriculture.

Needs of the Department of Agricultural Chemistry.

This Department has for many years been compelled to resort to temporary expedients to secure necessary class rooms, laboratory and laboratory equipments. With the increase in the demands made by the growing number of students in the Agricultural Course and Short Courses, and by the greater demand for advanced work in methods of analysis applicable to agricultural products and those of rural industries, the present facilities are proving more and more insufficient. It has been found necessary to use the already crowded space of the Experiment Station building to accommodate students engaged in special investigation, while, owing to the over-crowding of the little laboratory in the temporary building, it has been found necessary to drop laboratory practice which is greatly needed. Owing to limited means as well as storage room, it has been impossible to accumulate the illustrative material readily available and which should form a part of the equipment of every well-regulated class room in agricultural chemistry.

To meet present demands and those of the immediate future satisfactorily, the plant and equipment for the work should be provided as follows:

1. A lecture room equipped with a large lecture table provided with pneumatic trough, gas, water, air pressure, air exhaust and fume chamber, and seated with chairs or benches having writing arms attached. There should be black boards for the use of the teacher and students, a rack or frame for the support of charts, cases for reagents and more frequently used illustrative material.

For much of the instruction, a projecting lantern, lit by electric arc or by oxy-hydrogen lamp, with microscope attachment, and accompanied by well selected photographic and microscopic slides systematically arranged in substantial cases, is highly needed. For certain parts of instruction in the chemistry of plant nutrition actual demonstration with living plants is important. A well-equipped lecture room should have as a recognized adjunct a small plant-house, glazed, properly heated and supplied with water.

There is a great deal of apparatus useful for class-room experiment. and other apparatus specially devised for analytical work in advanced research which we should possess, but which is still lacking. Adjacent to the lecture room there should be a well-stocked preparation room in which the apparatus and materials for class-room demonstration may be assembled and tried, and where it may be stored. Laboratories:-Several laboratories are needed:

1. A large laboratory, with equipment for twenty-five to thirty students, in which the study of the properties of plant and animal substances may be carried on and their qualitative determination be made. Tables equipped with water and gas, and drying closets, steam baths and fume chambers should be provided.

2. A quantitative laboratory, to accommodate fifteen to twenty students. Tables equipped with water, gas, air pressure and air exhaust, drying closets, drying ovens, steam cups, fume chambers, adjacent small rooms equipped with combustion furnaces, Kjeldahl nitrogen apparatus and a battery of extractors, with one or two rooms available for the use of advanced students engaged in research requiring more space than the ordinary laboratory table affords.

3. A balance room, with at least five delicate balances, upon a firm support. A small reference library should be kept upon shelves in this room.

4. A milk-testing room, equipped with Babcock centrifugal separators, and other types of simple machinery for milk analysis. Tables supplied with water. Continuous water heater sinks.

5. A soil-testing room, with tables fitted for use in the mechanical examination and physical test of soils.

6. A laboratory supply room, stocked with necessary apparatus and chemicals; table for assistant, equipped for analytical work.

7. Small private laboratory for the professor in charge.

8. A preparation or grinding room for the preparation of raw materials for analysis, with drying closet, scales for rough weighing, power mills for grinding.

9. Sample room supplied with bins for soil samples, straw, grain fertilizers and other substances for immediate use.

10. A stock room, for reception and unpacking of supplies. 11. Toilet and locker rooms.

12. A museum for minerals, soils, plant substances, products of rural industry.

The plant and equipment thus outlined afford a marked contrast with those now at our disposal, but they are needed to place this Department on a basis of equality with other departments of the College, and with the same department in other colleges. The sum of $7,500 to $10,000 can well be expended upon apparatus, illustrative material, chemicals, museum cases and special fittings for laboratories and class room. A neat brick building, with plant house, heating apparatus, plumbing, engines or motors, ventilator system and gas machine, would probably cost $15,000 to $20,000 more more-the cost varying, of course with the detail of plans, which I have not yet attempted to formulate sufficiently to serve as a basis for close estimate. My judg ment is based upon experience elsewhere in the construction of such buildings.

Accessions.-A set of valuable slides representing the several geological processes of soil formation has been received at the mere cost of producing the slides, through the courtesy of the United States Geological Survey.

The Department is indebted also to the propaganda for the use of nitrate of soda as a fertilizer, through its manager, Prof. John A. Myers, Ph. D., for a very complete set of photographs, framed and glazed, representing the preparation of nitrate of soda and its fertilizer effects upon various plants, as well as for samples of the crude and manufactured material.

In addition to the work of analysis of samples of food, manure, milk, etc., needed as check work in connection with experiments undertaken by the Station during the year, it may be noted that Mr. W. S. Sweetser did a good deal of preliminary work with the bomb calori meter, purchased by the Station for the purpose of studying the energy supplied by food to domestic animals. Many miscellaneous analyses and much correspondence in reply to inquiries have also been accomplished.

In my relation as chemist to the Department of Agriculture of Pennsylvania, much work has been performed in accordance with the contracts between the Station and the College. The analysis of fertilizers for the State Fertilizer Control has, as usual, occupied much of the available force during the Spring and Fall. I have been greatly assisted in the detail of management of this work, in the Spring by Mr. McDonnell, and in the Fall by Messrs. McDowell and Norris; while to Misses M. Edith Gray and Mary Garner, stenographers of the Station, I am indebted for their painstaking work in preparing the valuations and reports.

In my relations as Chemist to the State Dairy and Food Commissioner, quite a number of analyses of various food samples have been made; I have been chiefly aided in this work by Mr. Browne. Upon special request of the Secretary of Agriculture, I undertook the study of cider vinegar, with a view to fixing upon some methods for the detection of certain substitutes therefor, with the result that a suitable method was devised; this work has been presented in the form of a report to the Board of Chemists to the State Dairy and Food Commissioner. This Board has recently been organized under the initiative of the Secretary of Agriculture for the purpose of unifying the work of the several chemists engaged in the food control of the State, and I have been requsted to serve as its executive officer under the title of secretary.

As heretofore, I have continued in charge of the tobacco experiments, begun in 1893, and conducted jointly by the State Department of Agriculture and the Station. In Bradford county, under the superintendence of the Hon. L. E. Piollet, the work has been continued on the same lines as during preceding years. In Lancaster county,

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