DIRECTOR 3 REPORT. 13 



INVESTIGATIONS WITH THE BOMB CALORIMETER. 



The study of the fuel value of cattle food and of the food of 

 man gives very valuable information. The chief uses of food 

 are to build tissue, and to furnish the energy requisite for mus- 

 cular and other work, and for the maintenance of the body heat. 

 The power of food to supply force to do work and maintain 

 temperature can be measured in terms of potential energy. To 

 do this an apparatus called a calorimeter (heat measure) is used. 

 A new form of bomb calorimeter developed by Professor W. O. 

 Atwater and the director of this Station is described in the 

 report of the Storrs (Conn.) Experiment Station for 1894, pages 

 135-151. Mr. O. S. Blakeslee, mechanician of the Wesleyan 

 University, has made a bomb calorimeter for this Station. 

 Investigations upon the fuel value of foods and the undigested 

 residues of digestion experiments are in progress. Other stud- 

 ies with the bomb calorimeter are planned. 



BOTANY. 



The work in botany has been continued much as in previous 

 years. The chief work of investigation is along the lines of 

 (1) the diseases of plants and their remedies; (2) the intro- 

 duction and distribution of weeds in the State; and (3) the 

 life history of plants in relation to remedial measures. Consid- 

 erable study of the quality of seeds and their contamination 

 with weed seeds has been made. 



ENTOMOLOGY. 



The work in entomology is along the same lines as that of 

 other years. It consists of (1) the study of the life history of 

 insects doing injury in the State, so as to learn their most vulner- 

 able points and suggest rational remedies; (2) the study of the 

 insects of Maine as to kinds, distribution and variation from 

 year to year, due to climatic changes, food supply and natural 

 enemies; (3) the preparation of specimens for the cabinet to be 

 used in identifying other specimens readily; and (4) prepara- 

 tions of specimens showing the stages in the life history and 

 work of injurious insects. 



