AClRlcrLTlRAL AFPIlnPHIATION BII.U 1«H. 361 



invi'stigutinns iiiu(li> to (U'lrrinliit' wlmli nn* tlir VHriuhlf iiml <'4»im(ant 

 factors I'litfiiii;; int<i tlu* proMcin. \\ «• nrv now plurtiiiii^ further 

 study with a view to (h'ttMiniiiinL; tlic hiw's which jjovom ihww 

 variations, so that they may he a|>[)lic(l in the (irsi^nitij^of vonlihttintf; 

 systems. 



We are constantly asked for inf(»rmation re^ardinj; the Htoru^c of 

 notatoes. apph-s. and other pr«»duets. In cooperation witit tho 

 Buri'au of IMant hithistrv we have prepared material indieatin^ 

 the projx'r construction of common apple storage iiouses for the 

 nortliwest. It is e.\pe<tcd that th«' investigation will he carri<>d 

 further in order to determine the proper construction f(»r other 

 sections of the country and to devehip >imilar mfornuition with 

 resnect to the stora«;e ()f other crops. 



.vnother investi«;ation which is thouj;ht advisahic is that relatini; 

 to silaj;e pressures. The si/e and hei;;ht of silos have "greatly increa>^e<l. 

 introducing; new })rol)lems in the desi»;n of silos which will with>tan<l 

 the increased pressures. At present tliere is no definite information 

 with respect to this. There liave heen failures due to improper 

 construction: in other instances an unnecessarily expensive desi^i 

 has heen used. The development of sila<;e packei^s has made il 

 possil)Ie to store a ^eater (|uantity in the same silo hut this means 

 an increased hut unknown pressure. In view of the fact tliat silos 

 are increasini; in numher at the rate of from twenty to forty thousand 

 a vcar, the result of this investi«ration should hrinjr ahout a re«luction 

 in the nimiher of failures and a savinoj in materud. 



The transportation and handling; of fruits and ve^jetahles involve 

 many en«;ineerin{; prohlems which are yet to he solved. It is thoufjht 

 the precooling of fruits offers a means of reducinij losses in transporta- 

 tion and storagje. In cooperation with the Bureau of Plant Inmistn* 

 it is expected to continue investigations now under way in order to 

 determine the eflfectiveness of precoolini;. 



It is planned also to undertake further investigations relative to 

 the factors that govern the design and operation of car-heating sys- 

 tems, with the ohject of developing a more ellicient system of heatmg 

 cars used in the transpt)rtation of perishahle foodstuffs, and to thus 

 reduce the heavy losses which occur at certain seasons. The prohlem 

 of a satisfactory heater car is of great importance to potato growers in 

 the North and to fruit and vegetahle growers throughout the country. 



Similarly the refrigerator car. so necessary to the successful trans- 

 portation of perishahles during warm weather, is still susceptihle to 

 great improvement, although a great deal of work has heen done 

 along this line. It is helieved that the losses which occur each year 

 justify a considerahle expenditure to reduce them. 



The farm power studies outlined hv the farm power committee of 

 tho department have hei^i continued. In c(Mtperation with the 

 Bureau of Animal Industry and the Oflicc of Farm Management ami 

 Farm Fconomics a study of the cost of power on farms in the winter 

 wheat helt in Nehraska. Kansas, and Oklahoma, was made. Uecords 

 were secured from '^'^4 farms where tractois were used, and from S.') 

 farms where horses only were used. A complete record of the work 

 do?ie with hoth horses and tractors during the year pre<'eiling the 

 investigation, and information from which the cost of using the 

 tractors and horses coidd he determined, were ohtaine*! from each 

 farm. A record of the changes in the operation and ongani/.ation of 



