The greater the surface exposed to the cooking water, the more 
opportunity there is both for leaching and for destruction by 
oxidation. Finally, longer cooking periods and higher temperature 
cause greater vitamin destruction. 
Losses in Institutions and Restaurants 
No estimate has yet been made of losses of food in the Nation's 
institutions (including hospitals) and restaurants because of the 
paucity of basic data. Approximately one-sixth of our civilian 
food supply is disposed of through nonfamily consumption. The 
judgment of most feod-consumption analysts probably would be that 
lesses in restaurants are higher than in homes. Institutions 
vary so mich in type, personnel, and resources that it is diffie 
cult even to guess whether food loss is higher or lower than in 
homes. 
Depredations of Game and Birds 
Damage to agricultural crops by wildlife cannot be estimated 
accurately. Many of the data available concern reports on losses 
suffered by individual farmers and others, with no indication of 
their frequency or extent, and the reliability of many of the 
figures is questionable, Monetary damage claimed is often 
exaggerated, and rarely is consideration given to the sim] taneous 
indirect benefits resulting from the presence of birds and mammals 
in agricultural areas, 
Tremendous numbers of harmful insects and large quantities of 
weed seeds are consumed by game birds and some species of field 
rodents. Undoubtedly such beneficial effects often offset losses 
due to direct injury to agricultural crops. Game birds and 
animals constitute a natural resource, the annual harvest of 
which is valued at many millions of dollars. by sportsmen, There~ 
fore, any attempt to ascertain the net damage caused by wildlife 
should take these other values into consideration. 
Game Animals 
Information concerning damage caused by big game such as deer, 
elk, and antelope is too incomplete for even a rough estimate. 
These animals occasionally cause damage to hay, grain, garden 
crops, and orchards. In many States the farmer is compensated 
for such loss by the game and fish departments. For instance, 
in Colorado these payments totaled over $68,000 over the 3-year 
period 1950, 1951,. and 1952. The salary and expenses of game 
department personnel employed in management of game species 
involved an additional $120,000. The State also spent $11,000 
on emergency feeding, fencing, and controlling the animals. 
Thus a totel of over $302,000 could be charged te big-game 
animals in that one State for the 3-year period. 
- 17% ~- 
