844 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



representative projects, surveys and plans for reclamation of swamp 

 and ov(M-(l()\vpd land Avill be undertaken. In the field of technical 

 investi<j:ations the study of iinderdrainage under various conditions 

 of soil will be continued. Experiments will be made to derive the 

 proper coefficients to be used in determining the capacity of drainage 

 channels under working conditions, and the subject of maintenance 

 of drainage ditches will be studied. In the irrigated section the prob- 

 lems of seepage and alkali will be investigated along the same lines 

 as in past years, several engineers devoting their entire time to this 

 field. 



WORK PROPOSED FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1914. 



It is expected that the work will follow the same general lines that 

 have hitherto seemed to produce the best results with the available 

 means. More prominence will be given to the drainage of small agri- 

 cultural tracts. 



NUTRITION INVESTIGATIONS. 



Dr. C. F. Langworthy continued in charge of these investigations. 



During the year work already under way regarding the nutri- 

 tive value of animal and vegetable foodstuffs has been continued and 

 some new lines of work have been taken up. Particular attention has 

 been paid to the relative ease of digestion of cheese and to methods 

 of preparing and sen ing cheese, with the result that a Farmers' Bul- 

 letin on the economical use of cheese has been published. This and 

 other similar work was undertaken with the object of supplying data 

 which will enable the housekeeper to use her food resources economi- 

 cally and at the same time provide a diet that is reasonable from the 

 standpoint of nutritive value and pleasing in quality. Particular at- 

 tention has also been paid to the relative nutritive value and use of 

 green and succulent vegetables and to the nutritive value and methods 

 of preparation of corn meal, this work supplementing earlier studies 

 of a similar nature. 



Studies of the digestibility of culinary and table fats have been 

 undertaken with a view to accumulating data needed in connection 

 with problems under consideration by the department. In connection 

 with this work methods of preparing fats in such a way that large 

 quantities of fat could be taken in palatable form have been studied. 



Preliminary tests having shown that vegetable products (ripening 

 bananas) could be studied to great advantage with the respiration 

 calorimeter, an instrument of suitable size and particularly adapted 

 for such kinds of work has been constructed. New controlling and 

 recording devices have been used, so that this apparatus is very largely 

 automatic in operation with respect to energy measurements. Tests 

 already undertaken show that not only is the instrument very accu- 

 rate and easy of operation but that it is particularly well suited to 

 the uses for which it is designed. A microrespiration calorimeter 

 has also been devised for studying, with small quantities and in detail, 

 matters which relate to other questions under investigation. 



During the year 1913 it is proposed with the large calorimeter to 

 continue studies of the relative ease of digestion of animal and veg- 

 etable foods, and with the small calorimeter to continue the study of 



