STATES RELATIONS SERVICE. 357 



bility, and its preservation by domestic methods were undertaken. 

 Dietary studies were made in selected families of the District of Co- 

 lumbia as .a part of the study of liviut^ conditions in the District 

 carried on by the Department of Labor. 



Clothing and textile Avork dealt largely with cleaning processes, 

 with a view to prolonging the period of usefulness, a matter of im- 

 portance in connection with household thrift. A technical bulletin 

 on spots and stains and their removal was prepared for publication, 

 and a Farmers' Bulletin on the same subject was published. Atten- 

 tion was also given to the problem of care and repair of floor cov- 

 erings. 



As part of the work with household equipment other than textiles 

 a special study was made of the electrolytic method of cleaning sil- 

 ver, which yielded results of technical as well as practical value. 

 Other work in this field had to do chiefly with problems of cleaning 

 and care, with the result that material has accumulated for use in a 

 popular discussion of the subject. General questions which relate 

 to the selection and arrangement of household equipment were also 

 considered. 



In connection with the studies of household labor, additional in- 

 formation was collected regarding the time devoted to different 

 household tasks in rural homes. 



Definite statements regarding the physical demands made by 

 household labor require respiration-calorimeter experiments. In 

 view^ of the fact that the respiration calorimeter used for this work 

 needed some repairs, it was deemed advisable to reconstruct portions 

 of it, and this was done, with the result that a standardized method 

 of construction has been fixed upon which not only makes for accu- 

 racy and ease of operation, but which so cheapens construction that 

 a respiration calorimeter should be within the reach of any well- 

 equipped laboratory. Eespiration-calorimeter studies undertaken in 

 cooperation with the Bureau of Entomology on the Avintering of 

 bees were continued, as was a project in cooperation with the Bureau 

 of Animal Industry relating to the incubation of hens' eggs. 



A bulletin designed particularly for the use of the extension offices 

 of the service was prepared for publication on sewing and on the 

 making of canning-club uniforms. A part of this was published as 

 a circular. 



Throughout the year special attention was given to the accumula- 

 tion of information for use by the extension offices of the service and 

 to the preparation of short reports and summaries and articles for 

 popular use. The war situation greatly increased the demand for 

 short, popular articles, with the result that a hundred or more were 

 prepared. 



