LETTER OF TRAXSMITTAE. 



U. S. Department of Agriculture, 



Office of Experiment Stations, 



Washhigfon, D. 6'., May 30, 1005. 



Sir: 1 have the honor to transmit herewith and recommend for pul)- 

 lieation as a bulletin of this Office, a report of investigations on the 

 dig'estibilit}" and nutritive value of bread, and of macaroni and a 

 breakfast food made from American-grown durum wheat, carried on at 

 the University of Minnesota in 11)03-1905 by Harry Sn3'der, professor 

 of chemistry in the State University and chemist of the Agricultural 

 Experiment Station. The studies are a continuation of the investi- 

 gations on the nutritive value of cereal products conducted at the 

 University of Minnesota by Professor Snyder and at the Maine 

 Agricultural Experiment Station b}^ Prof. Charles D. Woods, and 

 were undertaken under the same general conditions as the other nutri- 

 tion investigations on the food of man conducted under the auspices 

 of this Office. 



Thanks are due to the Oklahoma and Oregon experiment stations 

 for samples of hard and soft winter wheats, and to the North Dakota 

 Experiment Station and the North Dakota Substation for samples of 

 durum wheat; also to the Minnesota Macaroni Company, of St. Paul, 

 for making the macaroni from specially ground wheat. 



The results of the investigations with bread of different sorts are in 

 accord with those obtained in former studies, and apparentl}^ warrant 

 the belief that it ma}' be laid down as a general rule that bread from 

 line patent flours is more thoroughly digestible and so has a higher 

 nutritive value than that from the coarse flours ground from the same 

 lots of wheat, although pound for pound it contains somewhat less 

 protein and mineral matter. Furthermore, the investigations confirm 

 the belief that all flours are quite thoroughly digested, and furnish 

 additional proof of the high nutritive value of flour of all grades, 

 The experiments with macaroni indicate that this product is very 

 thoroughly digested, being very similar in this respect to patent flour 

 bread, and that the American product made from native durum wheat 

 is equal in digestibility and food value to European goods. 



Respectfully, A. C. True, 



Director, 



Hon. James Wilson, 



Secretary of Agriculture. 



