Art. 714. Sugar closets. Sugar closets in the sugar districts shall be substantially built, and secured by locks furnished by the department. They shall be conveniently located as near as possible to the points of discharge they are intended to serve. They shall be provided by the owner of the premises on which they are located and shall be so situated that sugar, sirup, and molasses stored therein shall not be subjected to extremes of temperature or humidity.

TESTING OF SUGARS, SIRUPS, AND MOLASSES

Art. 715. Mixing of sugar samples.-The mixing and preparing of samples for test shall be done at the appraiser's stores under the supervision of the examiner of sugar. Samples shall be mixed and forwarded to the laboratory as soon as possible after their arrival at the appraiser's stores. Under no circumstances shall the contents of more than three sugar buckets be mixed together. The mixing shall be performed on heavy paper with a glossy surface which will not readily absorb moisture, or on a table with a metal top. The samples shall be passed through a wire screen of about %-inch mesh set in a galvanized-iron frame with inclosed sides. Great care shall be exercised to obtain a uniform mixture; but the operation shall be expedited so as to avoid unnecessary exposure to the atmosphere.

Art. 716. Sugar cans.-The tin cans used in transmitting the samples to the laboratories for polariscopic test shall have a height of 11.5 centimeters and a diameter of 8 centimeters. They shall be practically airtight, the seamless lid fitting snugly over the rim, which is topped by a seamless band. No cans shall be used for this purpose that have not been made on the dies owned by the department. All cans must be clean and dry before using. Frequent inspection shall be made to prevent the use of any can having loose or ill-fitting lid or broken seams on side or bottom. All damaged cans shall be discarded.

Art. 717. Preparation of sugar samples.-From the sample prepared by mixing the contents of not more than three buckets duplicate samples shall be prepared by closely packing two tin cans full of sugar and transmitted forthwith to the laboratories for polariscopic test. A third portion, consisting of about 3 pounds, shall be placed in a glass jar to constitute a reserve sample. In all cases the jars must be firmly packed full of sugar

before closing and so sealed as to make them air-tight. Such samples, after being properly labeled for identification, shall be held in safe custody by the appraiser for use when required.

Art. 718. Identification of samples.-In transmitting the samples from the examiner's room to the laboratory they shall be indicated only by serial numbers, the key to which shall consist of the appraisement lists, on which the same numbers must appear and the laboratory officers shall not be informed in any manner as to the identity of such samples. Appraisement lists shall be made out in duplicate, an original and carbon copy, the latter to be filed in the order of the sample serial numbers for reference if required. Sample serial numbers shall begin with No. 1 at the beginning of each year and continue throughout the year and all numbers shall be accounted for in the records specified.

Art. 719. Recording of sugar tests.-A complete test shall be made of each sample sent to the laboratory. The accepted tests reported by the chemist in charge shall be entered in red ink on the original appraisement lists, together with the accepted tests of the duplicate samples. Should the accepted tests of duplicate samples provided for in article 718 be 92° S. (sugar degrees) or above and should they agree within 0.2° S., the average of the two shall be taken as the true polariscopic test. of the sugar. If one or both of the polarizations should be less than 92° S., and they agree within 0.3° S., the average of the two shall be taken as the true polariscopic test of the sugar.

Art. 720. Use of reserve sugar sample.-When the accepted tests of the two samples do not agree as provided in article 719, a third sample, to be known as the reserve sample, shall be made up from the reserve portion, and treated as a regular sample. When preparing samples for the laboratory from the reserve jars the entire contents shall be taken out and remixed in order that the moisture may again be evenly distributed throughout the sample. The tests of the reserve sample having been duly recorded, the accepted tests of the three samples shall be considered together. Of the three separate tests so recorded, the average of the two most closely corresponding shall be taken as the test of the sugar; but if one of the said tests be the average of the other two it shall be taken as the correct test.

Art. 721. Sugar test for classification.-(a) The test for classification shall be an average of tests based upon the number of packages which each accepted test represents. This number shall be determined by proportioning the number of packages weighed each half day over the different mixings for such half day, according to the number of cans of samples received, using the reports of the weigher, provided for in article 683, for that purpose. Such average shall be carried to five places of decimals.

(b) Wet sugar, damaged sugar not wet, ship sweepings, dock sweepings, or any other sugar required under these regulations to be sampled separately, shall be classified and the tests averaged in the same manner as the general cargo.

Art. 722. Retests of sugar.-(a) When the test of the sugar has been determined the appraiser shall immediately notify the importer of the average test of the importation and also the quantity and test of each lot from which such average test is obtained. Should the importer, within two official days after such notice has been sent to him by the appraiser, claim an error in the test so reported and request a retest, such retest may be granted, provided, on evidence furnished, such claim shall appear to the appraiser to be well founded. Before granting retest the appraiser shall require of the importer any information he may deem desirable relative to the samples and polarizations used in the settlement tests. Before any sugar invoice is passed the appraiser shall require the importer to furnish the settlement tests, and in no instance shall a retest be granted when the difference between the appraiser's test and the settlement test is shown to be less than 0.4° S. Samples for retest shall be made up from the reserve sample and shall be treated in all respects as provided for the original tests.

(b) All requests for retests of sugar shall be properly filed and a record thereof shall be kept by the appraiser on Customs Form 6467.

Art. 723. Classification when retest is made.-In case of retest made under the provisions of article 722, the test upon which the sugar shall be classified shall be the average of the test and the retest unless it can be shown to the satisfaction of the appraiser that either the test or the retest is in error, in which event the test not in error shall be taken as the basis of classification.

T. Ds. 31762, 31935.

Art. 724. Error in original test. In all cases where in the judgment of the appraiser an error has been made the reserve sample may be resorted to by the appraiser at any time before he has made his return on the invoice for the purpose of determining and correcting such error. Art. 725. Molasses and sirup samples-Preparation and recording of tests.-(a) All the molasses and sirup samples from an individual importation when uniform in character shall in general be represented by not more than two composite laboratory samples, each sample representing one-half of the importation. Whenever practicable, a single composite sample shall be made to represent the importation. When, however, any such samples are not uniform in character, or when separate samples have been returned pursuant to article 712, as many separate samples shall be sent to the laboratory for test as, in the judgment of the examiner, shall be necessary to correctly classify the different grades of material in the importation.

(b) Two duplicate samples of approximately one-half liter from each composite sample shall be forwarded with the least possible delay to the laboratory for test. At least 1 liter of each composite sample shall be retained as a reserve sample. The average of the tests of the duplicate samples shall be the accepted test of the composite sample provided they do not differ by more than five-tenths per cent total sugars.

(c) The contents of each bucket of molasses or sirup samples shall be stirred in such a manner as to evenly distribute any sugar sediment that may have settled to the bottom and the contents brought to as even a density as possible.

(d) The identification, recording, and averaging of accepted tests of duplicate samples shall be, unless otherwise provided in these regulations, the same as for sugar.

(f) Molasses and sirup samples shall be handled as expeditiously as possible in order that they may not be affected by fermentation and shall be given a serial number that will insure as early a test as possible.

Art. 726. Molasses and sirup test for classification.The test for classification of a molasses or sirup importation shall be the average of the accepted tests for the composite samples based upon the proportion of the entire lot which each composite sample represents.

Art. 727. Molasses and sirup-Significance of test- T. D. 39710. Retest. Owing to the unstable character of molasses and sirup the results of any retest can not have, from the standpoint of correctness for appraisement purposes, the same significance which the results of a retest on sugar possess. A retest shall be granted by the appraiser only when the information in his possession indicates a strong probability of an error. The regulation governing the granting of a retest shall in general be that given in article 723, with the exception that the difference between the appraiser's test and the settlement test shall be shown to be not less than 2 per cent total sugars.

Art. 728. Notice to importer.-When an invoice of sugar, molasses or sirup has been passed, the appraiser shall at once send written notice to the importer, informing him of the test for classification of his importation.

Art. 729. Sugar records-Filing. The original appraisement lists for each cargo, with dock lists, weighers' reports, letters of transmittal, and any other information relating to the same, shall be filed together as a permanent record, under serial numbers, an index to which shall be kept in a permanent form as a means of ready reference. All chemists' reports of tests shall be filed in the order of the sample serial numbers for reference when required.

Art. 730. Procedure for exchange samples.-In order that the results of the testing of imported sugars at the several ports may be compared, it is directed that on each alternate day, beginning with Monday, a sample of sugar shall be tested at each of the ports of Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and New Orleans, and at the same time duplicate samples of the same sugars shall be exchanged for tests between the appraisers of the said ports and the Bureau of Standards, Washington. The duplicates shall be sent in the tin can prescribed in article 716, which must be firmly packed full of sugar and sealed air-tight with paraffin. The samples shall be numbered at each port of importation from 1 upward, beginning each year with the first official day in January, and the duplicates shall be marked for identification with the same number, the name of the importing port, and the date of test at such port.

Art. 731. Testing duplicate exchange samples.-The duplicate exchange samples must be tested as soon as they have been received and shall be sent to the labora