270 AGRICULTURAL APPROPRIATION BILL, 1924. 



Mr. Anderson. What 1 mean is, is there any real development in 

 the sale of these products commercially? 



Mr. Cami'BF.i.l. In (•crtiiin products there are. Certain products 

 are beinj:; put out in fairlv well standardized fashion now. and very 

 naturallv the departmentis getting inquiries all the time where there 

 is a desire to undertake this on a cooperative plan by agricultural 

 communities themselves in the establishment of dehydrating plants. 

 But until the department is in a position to prescribe the method by 

 which this can be done and arrive at some logical and accurate con- 

 clusion concerning the cost that would be involved and the type of 

 supervision that should be maintained, it can not speak in a definite 

 fashion regarding the financial advantage that would accrue to a 

 communitv from an undertaking of this sort. 



Mr. Buchanan. When you speak of "dehydrating" you simply 

 mean drying ( 



Mr. Campbell. Yes. 



^ir. Buchanan. Are the markets filled \v\t\\ dried fruits and vege- 

 tables, or is there any considerable market for dried fruit now ( 



Mr. Ca.mpbkll. Oli. ves; dried fruit is a pretty well established 

 industry, but on vegetables it is hardly that, and 1 do not think that 

 dehydration will ever be an industry actively supported in this 

 countrv until we shall have determined some plan by which a stand- 

 ardized or stabilized product can be made. The experience that the 

 chairman in(licated a moment ago about cane sirup applies precisely 

 to this situation. 



Mr. Anderson. The next is the item on page 187. 



FOR PREVENTION OF GRAIN-DUST AND OTHER DUST EXPLOSIONS AND 



FIRES. 



Mr. Ca.mpbell. That is the item for investigation and improvement 

 of methods for prevention of grain-dust and other dust explosions 

 and resulting fires, including fires in cotton gins and cott(m-od mills. 

 Our work under that anpropriation has divided itself into three ilif- 

 ferent classes — the wotk that was done and is being done in a con- 

 sulting way and in an advisory capacity on, firet, the threshing- 

 machine explosions and fires, and, second, the fires and explosions 

 that take place in t^rain elevators and in industrial establishments, 

 and. third, our work on cotton gins and in oil mills. 



By devising a mechanical separator or remover for the dust on the 

 threshing machine, and also oy making provision for appropriate 

 wiring to remove static; electricity generated in the threshmg opera- 

 tion and which was the cause of ignition in most cases, these explo- 

 sions in threshing machines have been reduced to a very material 

 extent. Our i-eal problem has been in getting an observation of the 

 precautions we have recommended. This work has been promoted 

 very largely })y State agencies, especially in the region of northern 

 Idaho, eastern Washington, and northeast Oregon. There has never 

 been 'recorded a fire and explosion in one oi the mills where the 

 devices reconuiu'nded by the nureau have been adopted. 



Mr. .\m)KUs<)n. Have any of tiie threshing machine companies 

 adoj)ted this method or device^ 



Nlr. Cami'Bem.. They are working with us on that basis, and they 

 undertake to manufacture the e(|uipnu'nt and install it on their 



