KEPOKT OF THE SECRETAKY OF AGRICULTURE. CTX 



kind and cost, it i.s not too much to say that in veiy many others diet- 

 ary studies would show the possibility of diminishing the cost and at 

 the same time improving the quality. The benefit to the inmates and 

 saving of public mone}^ in this way seem worthy of all possible effort. 



In previous reports I have called attention to the fact that investi- 

 gations were needed to determine the food habits and requirements of 

 residents of tropical countries. This matter is becoming of increasing 

 importance, owing to the continuance of soldiers, sailors, and civil 

 officers of the United States in such regions. This, and the fact that 

 large numbers of our people are called to tropical regions by our 

 rapidly extending commerce, would seem to justify the institution of 

 such investigations to determine the most suitable diet under the new 

 climatic conditions. It is well known that a suitable diet is a mattei 

 which has a great effect upon the maintenance of good health of old 

 residents in tropical countries, and is even more important for recent 

 arrivals. The U. S. Army has devoted considerable attention to this 

 subject, as have also German, British, and other European investiga- 

 tors, generally under the auspices of the arm}^ or navy of their respec- 

 tive Governments. The lack of agreement regarding the diet best 

 suited to residents of the Tropics shows that more extended investiga- 

 tions are required. 



The economic feeding of troops and other residents in tropical 

 regions obviously depends in some measure upon the utilization of 

 local food products. Many of these products are comparativel}" 

 unknown outside the Tropics, and their food value has never been 

 studied. 



IrriCxAtion Investigations. 



Two causes have operated during the past year to increase the inter- 

 est in the Department's work for irrigated agriculture. One was the 

 desire of the arid States for the creation of conditions which will result 

 in the largest and best use of the water supply, and the other the 

 drought which prevailed throughout the Middle West in 1901 and in the 

 South during 1901 and the present year. As a result of this interest, 

 requests for information and advice have been far more numerous than 

 ever before, and it is only through the increased appropriation made 

 by the last Congress and the better organization of the work that these 

 demands have been met. 



The distribution and use of Western rivers require that the irriga- 

 tion industiy shall be organized, and in order to provide for this it is 

 necessary that there be a better understanding of the subject than now 

 exists. The first need is for the facts. We need to know how much 

 water is being used, where it is being used, how much water is 

 required for the maturing of crops, how it can be distributed with the 

 least loss, and how applied to the best advantage. This information 



