Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-11-15

Bureau OF Applied
Science
by Frederic J. Hnskin.

4 ~
Washington, u. G.. Nov 1.-THE
Government hpa ~ last started IN n small
way much needed enterprise. One
bureau in the Department OF Agriculture
the Bureau Of Chemistry Is going To-
turn some Of its discoveries TO practical
use bv finding out their commercial
possibilities, and giving the public the
benefit of its research.
This meanx that il the chemists Of the
sugar experiments lahoraiory, Tor instance,
find an improved method of making cane
syrup the bureau may not, as heretofore,
announce the big discovery to the country
and then start something else.
Instead, II it seems likely that the ncw
process could I've developed profitably
by syrup manufacturers, and II there Is
q special need for it, chemical engineers OF
the bureau will take up the matter. Data
will he obtained To show the condition %,
the market, whether higher price can
be obtained for the better product,
whether new machinery is needed Tor the
new process, and the cost, whether the
project is practicable on a small scale.
Equipped with facts, figures, and perhaps
small working plant where syrup has
been successfully made by the Government
IInFsSst ilf unft9n ~ III Dpoihtph w
furnish help to anyone who is Interested
The branch Of the Bureau of Chemistry
which is to form this liason between
science and the public is called the Office
of DEVELOPMENT. Work Ii was planned
by DR. Carl Alsberg, chief OF the Bureau
of Chemistry, who felt that the dis
coverits of his bureau were not often
enough understood by the people who
could have made use of them. The trouble
was that the bureau had 40 way Of helping
people who were always writing to IL
to know If each new process would be a
gC od commercial venture aud If go how
to go about starting work To help these
business men and manufacturers, and
also private citizens who might he inter
ested in the use Of discovery made by
the bureau the Office of Developrnen.
Work has been opened.
Many of the processes worked out by
the Government chemists are practicable
only on large scale, in an elaborately
equipped plant. But in some cases the
farmer or housewife profits by the chem
ical experiments.
GAS OUT OF STRAW
1t is hoped that this may be true IN the
case of the straw gas experiments now
being condrAted at the Government ex-
perimental farm at Arlington, Virginia.
Gas was several years ago obtained from
straw. During the war, England eked
out her gasoline supply by attaching bags
containing the straw gas To the top of
automobile buses The difficulty with
straw gas can he seen right there. 1t has
never been satisfactorily reduced to a
compressed liquid When that is achieved
and the qualities Of gas obtained from
different kinds of straw have been studied
and compared. the Bureau OF Chemistry
hopes TO be able to show the farmer how
to make his own gas for light, heat and
power for stationary engines and tractors
The Government chemical engineers could
not, Of course, 20 to every farm and give
actual assistance in establishing q pas
production plant, but II could furnish all
necessary information regarding costs,
equipment, and the product.
The office that is TO furnish this service