due to the daily change in temperature 

 of the air — not to root pressure, nor to 

 the Ufting power of transpiration. In 

 that research, done in 1944, they were 

 among the first to use radioactive trac- 

 ers in plant research in New England. 

 He and S. Dunn (Botany) collaborated 

 on ways of propagating maples with a 

 high sugar sap. The association be- 

 tween soil and timber yield of white 

 pine in southeastern N.H., and a new 

 way of cruising standing timber for 

 determining volume — the variable- 

 plot method — were studied by B. 

 Husch. 



Stevens became department head 

 in 1938 at which time Swain was ap- 

 pointed to the Station staff. Husch 

 became associated with the Univer- 

 sity in 1951 but several years later 

 resigned to accept a position with the 

 Food and Agriculture Organization 

 (FAO). O. P. Wallace joined the de- 

 partment in 1954. 



Home Economics 



For faculty in Home Economics, the 

 proportion of time assigned to the Sta- 

 tion compared to that devoted to 

 teaching has been relatively small. 

 Recognition of a national emergency 



in human nutrition generated by WW 

 II, however, led to a combined effort 

 by Station personnel in Home Eco- 

 nomics, Agricultural and Biological 

 Chemistry, and Horticulture to inves- 

 tigate nutritive factors related to New 

 Hampshire-grown fruits and veg- 

 etables. T. Levcowich in Home Eco- 

 nomics used a taste panel to evaluate 

 different varieties of fruits and veg- 

 etables preserved in different ways. S. 

 R. Shimer and H. J. Purinton in Agri- 

 cultural and Biological Chemistry 

 studied the ascorbic acid and carotene 

 content of different varieties of berries 

 and squashes as influenced by cold 

 storage, quick freezing and canning. 

 This research stimulated more funda- 

 mental studies by Purinton on meth- 

 ods of improving the specificity of 

 vitamin assays in foods. Later, A. M. 

 Light (Home Economics nutritionist) 

 and Shimer determined that in male 

 students phosphorus had no signifi- 

 cant effect on blood levels of thiamine 

 or sugar. In 1952 Light was appointed 

 head of Home Economics. 



Professor H. F. McLaughlin re- 

 tired in 1954 after some 31 years of 

 leadership in the department. A dor- 

 mitory was later named in her honor. 



S. H. Shimer and H. J. Purinton. Agricultural and Biological Chemistry 



28 



