OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 291 



on the subject have been undertaken there. An adequate diet should 

 unquestionablj^ be supplied to all who are dependent on charity of 

 this sort. The numerous studies which have been made show that 

 with proper care good food may be pro\dded at a reasonable cost. 

 While the diet in many institutions is undoubtedly satisfactory as 

 regards kind and cost, it is not too much to say that in very many 

 others dietary stuc|ies would show the possibility of diminishing the 

 cost and at the same time imi^roving the quality. The increase in 

 comfort and the saving of public money in this way seems worthy of 

 all j)ossible 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 increas- 

 ing 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 

 investigations to determine the most suitable diet under the new cli- 

 matic conditions. It is well known tliat a suitable diet is a matter 

 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 United States Army has devoted considerable atten- 

 tion to this subject, as have also German, British, and other Euroi^ean 

 investigators, generally under the auspices of the army or navy of 

 their respective Governments. The lack of agreement regarding the 

 diet best suited to residents of the Tropics shows that more extended 

 investigations 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 i)roducts are comparativelj'' 

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

 studied. This lack of information should be remedied by comparative 

 tests of the nutritive value of these little-known food materials. Fur- 

 therjnore, we need to study the dietaries of the native populations who 

 have recently come under the jurisdiction of the United States, with 

 a view to determining the relation of their food habits to their health 

 and industrial efficiency. Such investigations maj^ easily become an 

 important factor in the agriculture, trade, and commerce of these 

 regions, as well as in the formulation of plans for the improvement of 

 the conditions of life among these people. 



In order to extend the nutrition investigations by carrying on 

 dietary studies in public institutions and among the rural population 

 in different parts of the country, and studies of the food requirements 

 of persons residing in the Tropics, I recommend that $10,000 be added 

 to the appropriation for nutrition investigations for the fiscal year 1904. 



Irrigation Investigations. 



The extent of irrigation in the United States and the agricultural 

 wealth and population of the arid region must in the end be limited ' 

 by the economy and skill with which farmers use water, while its suc- 

 cess will in large measure be determined by the efficiency and justice 

 with which streams are administered and the rights to their water 

 established and protected. The irrigation investigations of the 

 Department of Agriculture have for their fundamental purpose the 

 betterment of conditions along both these lines. The work is directed 



