Circular No. 50. Preliminary Plans and Estimates for Drainage of Fresno District, Cal., by C. G. Elliott. Pp. 12, pls. 2.

This circular discusses the practicability of drainage as a remedy for alkali and gives the surveys for laying out the drains considered necessary for a tract of 25 square miles around the city of Fresno, and estimates of the cost of their construction.

Separates were printed as follows:

Bulletin No. 119. Report of Irrigation Investigations for 1901. No. 1 contains: Summary of Results, by R. P. Teele; Irrigation in New Mexico, by W. M. Reed; Irrigation Investigations in Salt River Valley, by W. H. Code; Irrigation at the Arizona Experiment Station Farm, by A. J. McClatchie. No. 2 contains: Subterranean Water Supply of the San Bernardino Valley, Cal., by E. W. Hilgard; Duty of Water under Gage Canal, Cal., by W. Irving; Duty of Water in Tule River Basin, Cal., by A. E. Chandler; Use of Water in Irrigation in Washington, by O. L. Waller. No. 3 contains: The Distribution of Water from Canals in Idaho, by D. W. Ross; Investigations in Montana, 1901, by Samuel Fortier; Irrigation in Bear River Valley, Utah, by Arthur P. Stover; Irrigation in Grand and Arkansas Valleys, Colo., by Arthur P. Stover. No. 4 contains: Irrigation Under Great Eastern Canal, Nebr., by O. V. P. Stout; Irrigation at the Missouri State Experiment Station, by H. J. Waters; Irrigation Experiments in Wisconsin, 1901, by F. H. King; Irrigation in New Jersey, 1901, by E. B. Voorhees; Second Progress Report on Silt Measurements, by J. C. Nagle.

Bulletin No. 133. Report of Irrigation Investigations for 1902. No. 1 contains: Irrigation in Mountain Water District, Salt Lake County, Utah, by E. R. Morgan; The Use of Water from the Wood Rivers, Idaho, by J. D. Stannard. No. 2 contains: Irrigation Investigations on Sand Creek, Albany County, Wyo., by B. P. Fleming; Irrigation in Washington, by O. L. Waller; Irrigation Investigations in Montana, 1902, by Samuel Fortier; Irrigation Systems on Stoney Creek, Cal., by W. T. Clarke and C. W. Landis; Irrigation in the Black Hills, S. Dak., by A. B. Crane. No. 3 contains: Rice Irrigation in Louisiana and Texas, by Frank Bond; Third Progress Report on Silt Measurements, by J. C. Nagle; Irrigation Experiments at Missouri Experiment Station, by H. J. Waters; Irrigation in Wisconsin in 1902, by A. R. Whitson; Irrigation Investigations in New Jersey, 1902, by E. B. Voorhees; The Use of Pumps for Irrigation in Hawaii, by Jared G. Smith. New editions of bulletins were printed as follows:

Bulletin No. 86. That part of the Annual Report of Irrigation Investigations for 1899 referring to Utah.

Bulletin No. 92. The Reservoir System of the Cache la Poudre Valley, by E. S. Nettleton. Pp. 48, pls. 14. Price, 15 cents.

Bulletin No. 105. Irrigation in the United States. Testimony of Elwood Mead before the Industrial Commission June 11 and 12, 1901. Pp. 47. Price, 15 cents. The following reports of work done in 1903 are now prepared and will soon be published:

Irrigation in Italy. By Elwood Mead. This is a report of observations made by Professor Mead in the valley of the Po in Italy during the summer of 1903. The climatic conditions in that valley are very similar to those in the central Mississippi Valley and the crops are the same, with a few exceptions. The report is therefore of especial value as showing what irrigation will do to increase production where

crops can be raised without it. Another important feature of the report is the description of the cooperative societies which the farmers have formed to control the distribution of their water supplies. These societies have very largely done away with the friction and controversy between neighbors and neighborhoods so common in this country. The Government exercises absolute control over streams and leases water instead of allowing the securing of perpetual rights like those in our Western States. The report also describes many of the irrigation works seen and the measuring devices examined.

Irrigation in the Valley of Lost River, Idaho. By A. E. Wright. This report deals with the peculiarities in the flow of Lost River and their influence upon the distribution of the water from the stream. The water of the river sinks and reappears below in the form of springs. This sinking makes it difficult to know the influence of diversions above the sink on the flow of the river below, and therefore complicates the work of the watermaster charged with the division of the water. Mr. Wright measured the stream at various points along 55 miles of its course, and the diversion from the same section, to determine where the water sinks and where it returns to the bed of the stream. These measurements will suggest to ditch owners how to locate their ditches to secure the largest supply from the stream.

Current Wheels. This report is a compilation of descriptions of wheels for raising water sent in by all the agents of the irrigation investigations. It gives drawings, half-tones, and detailed descriptions of a large number of wheels, with statements of the areas watered and the cost of construction.

NUTRITION INVESTIGATIONS AT THE GOVERNMENT HOSPITAL FOR THE INSANE, WASHINGTON, D. C.

By W. O. ATWATER, Chief of Nutrition Investigations.

Among the various reasons for careful attention to the food supply of an institution, two are of particular importance. In the first place, the comfort and well-being of the inmates depend in great measure upon their diet; and, in the second place, the cost of subsistence is usually a very large item in the expenses of the institution. Hence, any means of providing a more appropriate diet for the same expenditure, or for reducing the cost of the diet, provided it be otherwise satisfactory, is worthy of consideration.

As a result of extended inquiries in this country and elsewhere, which have been prosecuted with increasing activity in recent years, the general principles of nutrition are to-day fairly well understood, and it is now feasible to make practical application of the results of such inquiry to the improvement of the dietetic management of institutions. It is possible to determine with tolerable accuracy the physiological needs of the inmates for nourishment and, in the light of experience and experiment, it is apparent that the knowledge gained from a study of the diet with regard to the kinds, amounts, and costs of food, the methods of handling the supplies, and of preparing and serving the food will frequently show where and how improvements may be made so as to render the diet more attractive and palatable, and often better suited to the physiological demands of the persons nourished, while in many instances the cost may at the same time be very much reduced.

This is not meant to imply that it is impossible to provide a suitable diet for an individual or a group without considering the results of dietary studies and other similar investigations. Practical experience, as accumulated through many generations, has shown in a general way what amounts of food are required and what are satisfactory combinations. But it is coming to be more generally recognized that the results of scientific investigation are a helpful guide in the conducting of any enterprise. The proper feeding of individuals or groups is no exception to the general rule.

Having a very intelligent appreciation of such facts as these, the late Doctor A. B. Richardson, superintendent of the Government Hospital

for the Insane in Washington, requested the cooperation of the Office of Experiment Stations, in connection with its nutrition investigations, in a study of food economy of the institution under his charge. It was his desire to learn whether, as judged according to the best available knowledge, the diet of the hospital was properly suited to the needs of the employees and patients, and whether it was being supplied as economically as circumstances would warrant; or, if it was at fault in either respect, in what ways it might be improved. So far as the Office of Experiment Stations was concerned the opportunity to assist in such inquiry was considered especially advantageous, both as showing how the results of nutrition investigations may be put to practical use, and also for securing additional data for the establishment of dietary standards and other useful information regarding the dietetics of public institutions, requests for which are being continually received. That the importance of this subject is becoming more widely recognized is manifested by the inquiries that are being made and by the interest displayed by a large and increasing number of officers of public institutions and by public-spirited citizens.

PRINCIPLES GOVERNING THE PLANNING AND IMPROVING OF

DIETARIES.

From the data obtained by experimental inquiry and from the facts learned by experience and observation in the feeding of large groups of people, several general principles may be deduced that must be considered both in the original planning and in the attempt to improve the diet of an institution. A certain amount of food is necessary for sustaining bodily functions, and this requirement, which is termed the physiological demand, varies with different conditions such as age, sex, health, muscular activity, environment, etc. The physiological demand forms the basis of the dietary standard, which may be expressed in amounts of food materials, or more conveniently in quantities of nutrients and energy, since the nutritive values of all food materials may be stated in these terms. The food supply of the institution must necessarily be larger than is required simply to meet the physiological demands of the inmates, since it is practically impossible to store, cook, and serve food without some loss from shrinkage and waste, the amount of food thus lost depending very largely upon its quality and upon the methods of storeroom, kitchen, and dining-room management. To provide adequately for the institution, therefore, the total food supply must be large enough to cover both the needs of the population and the losses from shrinkage and waste. The difference between food supply and food consumption, however, should not be unduly large, because when the former is too generous the kitchen and table wastes are likely to be excessive; and where food is served too abundantly there will also be a tendency to consume more food than

is required to maintain good physical condition which not only entails pecuniary loss, but also imposes unnecessary tax on the digestive functions and frequently impairs the health of the consumers. On the other hand, if the food supply is too limited and the shrinkage and waste are large, there is danger of underfeeding, which is more to be avoided than the opposite. Hygienic economy requires not only that the food shall meet the physiological demand in respect to the quantities of nutrients and energy, but also that it shall be suited to the digestive powers and other physiological peculiarities of the users. This is of special importance in the case of the aged and infirm and with invalids and young children. Pecuniary economy requires not only that there shall be a minimum of shrinkage and waste, but also that the food shall be such as to furnish the needed nutriment at the lowest cost consistent with the comfort and well-being of the persons fed. The attractiveness and palatability of the food should also receive due consideration, because often the adequacy of the diet as well as the happiness of the eater may be thus enhanced.

NATURE OF THE INQUIRY AT ST. ELIZABETHS.

The plan of investigation at St. Elizabeths comprehended an examination of the statistics of the food supply with regard to the kinds, amounts, and nutritive values of the materials; determinations by weighings and measurement of the amounts of food actually consumed by the different classes of the hospital population and of the amounts and kinds of dining room and kitchen wastes; observation of the methods of handling, cooking, and serving the food; experiments on the feeding of patients of different classes to determine their actual physiological needs and the best ways of supplying them without unnecessary waste; and, finally, learning how the proper officers and employees may be enabled not only to carry out but also to devise methods for improvement.

In an institution like a hospital for the insane, where there are so many different classes of patients, and especially in one where there are many different dining rooms and kitchens, to complete such an investigation as this would ordinarily require considerable time. Fortunately for rapid progress at the Government hospital, it was possible to make very satisfactory arrangements for the prosecution of the inquiry, and these were readily agreed to by Dr. Richardson, who thoroughly appreciated the requirements of the work. Mr. H. A. Pratt, who for several years had been associated with the work at Middletown, Conn., which forms part of the nutrition investigations of the Department of Agriculture, which are under the writer's direction, and with the dietary investigations made in the hospitals for the insane in the State of New York, also under the writer's direction, was given charge of the studies at St. Elizabeths. The data which he