AORK rr,TTTHAI- APPROPRIATIOX BIIJ^ 1W4. 251 



tho tamiiiij; rimfn-iuU iImmiispIvos arr instifrHimi. Tlw I. ' '■•r\- 

 has iiinhT consith'ratioii sul>stitii(«'s for taimiri<; |)ur()«»s»'s, m... ... ^ m 



stu<lv <»f tlu' propiT pn'sorvatiotj of tlir liMitluT. Oiu* of the thinu'- 

 involved i.s the rhiss of jjroases and <»ils (hat arc used for «tiitrm{; 

 purposes. The life of h'ather «h'peii<ls upon this sfuffiii*;. and its 

 (Uirahihtv (h'p«'nds up«»n that. Furtherm(»re. the piohU-ms <»f a <-hem- 

 iral and pliysieal kind inv(dve<l in leatlier testing, hs to dtirahihty 

 and vuUie whieh the h'ather possesses, is the basis iipon whieh we 

 control all of our other efT(trts and all of our other uoik. 



WATEUHUUOKINJi OF rABRIlH. 



Tlie .same lahoratory is now actively concerned in u consideration 

 of llie waterpn»olin^ of fahries. Tlie.se fabrics that are use<l in tlie 

 nature of canvas for shock and liay coverings, for horse coverinjj^s. 

 paidins. and the like, represent in tlieir ajjfjrefjate a very material 

 expense to the farmin*; industry. Tlie same tliini; is true with re- 

 spect to that secti<)n wliich uses certain types of fal)rics for tobac<-o 

 growing in certain areas. The outlay in money is considerable, and 

 our concern has been to determine some plan by which tliese fabrics 

 can be made both water and mildew pro(»f aiul prolong the life of 

 the articles. As an indication of tlie value of that work I may say 

 that the War Department consulted our bureau in connection with 

 purchases of fabrics such as we have in mind, and in one notable 

 instance they called to our attention a saving of .?24.0()() that was 

 efTected in a single purduuse, not mentioning at all the advantage 

 thev set out of the material bv reason of more intensive service; that 

 is. its increased durability. 



8TUHY OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF PROTEINS. 



This fund also supports the work in our protein lab<uatorv. The 

 protein laboratory is concerning itself with the study of different 

 types of proteins. We know that one of the essentials for animal 

 tissue is nitroojen. and that thev get this onlv through the proteins 

 they take in tlie form of their food. Formerly it was believed that 

 all proteins served the same purpose, but we have shown that is not 

 true at all. The work of the laboratory has demonstrated that there 

 are different types of proteins and that some of them are lacking in 

 certain amino acids t)f which all proteins are supposed to be composed. 

 We found with respect to com that two of the essential acids are lacking, 

 and that if fed on corn exclusively an animal will not thrive ami not 

 develop as it ought to. The atlvantage of this is that it gives knowl- 

 edge as to the defects in certain types of foods and al.so knowledge as 

 to the particular types of proteins out of which these defects can be 

 supplied. If you take a corn pioduct and supplement it with soy- 

 bean meal or peanut meal, you will have a completely balanced food. 



There is a tremendous field for development in this direction and 

 also in the emj)loyment of certain types of our own vegetable oiks, 

 the fostering of a more intensive use of them and a stuciy of their 

 chemical compt»sitions. That, and the fundamental work we have 

 under way on crop chemistry, rpiestions to which Doctor Skinner, 

 the assistant chief of the bureau, has been giving his particular atten- 

 tion, 1 would like to have stated in a brief wav bv him, with your 



