198 BOAED OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



These are carried on in co-operation with tlie colleges and 

 stations in different parts of the country, and the results of 

 these investigations are already incorporated in courses of 

 cooking and domestic science in hundreds of schools. 

 Taken as a whole, they constitute the most thorough and 

 wide-reaching investigation on this subject that has been 

 undertaken in any country, and have attracted wide atten- 

 tion both at home and abroad. The office has numerous 

 publications on this subject, which are freely sent to appli- 

 cants. 



Another large division of the work of this office is com- 

 prised in its irrigation investigations. These include studies 

 of the laws and institutions relating to irrigation ; measure- 

 ments of amounts of water applied to different crops and 

 soils ; studies of drainage systems, and of pumps and other 

 machiner}^ used in irrigation. Most of this work has been 

 done in the east and south, where irrigation is profitably 

 used in raising garden vegetables, small fruits, rice, etc. 

 Some attention is also being given to studies of farm ma- 

 chinery, and it is hoped to extend this work in agricultural 

 enoineerino- so as to include investiofations reo-ardinof farm 

 buildings, water and sewage systems, etc. 



Bureau of Chemistry. 



Investigation of the adulteration of food products has 

 been one of the most important studies of this Bureau in 

 the last year. Special attention has been given to the 

 adulteration of olive oils of domestic manufactiu-e, which 

 are compelled to compete with cheaper and adulterated oils. 

 Important investigations have been conducted by the Bureau 

 in connection with economic forest products, such as tannin, 

 gums, rubbers and wood pulps. 



The road-material laboratory, which was established in 

 December, 1900, tests road materials of all descriptions, free 

 of charge ; and those interested have only to send samples 

 of their materials to this laboratory to have the road-making 

 qualities of the materials determined. Only practical road 

 builders of much experience realize the large amount of 

 money wasted through an improper selection of material. 



