The Indianapolis journal., 1902-11-09
MAMMOTH MODEL GARDEN.
Interesting Government Exhibit to BE
shown Mt Worlds Fair.

Interesting Government Exhibit to BE
shown at worlds Fair.
WORLDS FAIR, St Louis. Nov. S.
Space has been allotted in the western part
of the worlds fair grounds for a great
garden map of the United States. The al
lotment made upon the application of
w. j. Spillman, of the government Depart
ment Of Agriculture. expert in grasses and
forage plants. The map will constitute
part of the exhibit of the Bureau of Plant
Industry and will have a southern exposure
well suited for the purpose. Two acres will
be taken up with this map. The state lines
will be marked by walks in cinders, red
gravel some other material. In each
state reservation will be shown the eco
nomic plants produced III the State and
for which the State is known. The corn of
Kansas. the wheat of the middle States,
tt, cotton. tobacco and sugar cane of the
Southern States the orange and pineap-
pie of Florida will all be shown. Those
plants which do not grow in this latitude
normally will be forced under glass hot
beds. Mr.. Spillman says that two acres
will be sufficient to carry out this plan, al
lowing an acre 2O0x400 feet. This would
make the State of Illinois about 20 feet
long. With this map spread out on the
southern slope, in the place allotted, il
would appear from the agricultural build
ing hill like a bird's-eye view of the United
States. while the visitor walking on the
paths would, so far as vegetation was con-
cerned, be travelling through the country.
The outdoor exhibit will have a number
Of additional features which will make it
the most remarkable agricultural exhibit
ever made earth The outdoor exhibit
Is novelty. 1t was tried in miniature at
two former American expositions. but at
those expositions it was confined to grasses
and forage plants The range of the pres
ent outdoor exhibit is shown by the fol-
lowing points which will be covered by it:
/. A cereal exhibit in which will be shown
growing every species of wheat, oats, bar
ley, rye, corn, emmer, spelt and einkorn.
AS there are over 1900 varieties of wheat
and some hundreds of corn, the extent of
this exhibit may be judged
2. Diseases of field and garden crops.
Plants will be shown afflicted with various
diseases and one-half of the plants will be
treated scientifically to show how the dis
ease may be eliminated. Thus, potatoes
will be inoculated with blight and half the
plants treated to kill the blight. Smutted
oats will be shown under the same condi-
tions.
3. Plant breeding, or crossing of varie-
ties, will be shown by offering the parent
plants and the hybrid growing between.
Many varieties of hybrid plants and of gar
den vegetables hybridized to produce
strange varieties will be shown.
L. The treatment of sand dunes with
otafi ta he nd
vent it from blowing under storm winds.
The department has prepared binding grass
which grows on the sand and makes the
shifty dunes solid soil. Dunes will be
shown in the exhibit covered with vegeta-
tion.
5. Rotation of crops. An ideal farm COW
cred with crops which follow in rotation
in extensive farming will be shown. The
rotation as produced in the best form is:
First corn; second. oats; third. clover and
timothy. On an area of few rods long
this farm can easily be shown.
6. Growing crops for seed and methods
and machinery in use on well-equipped seed
farms will be shown. Plants of living va
rieties will be used. so that the gathering
Of seed may go on throughout the exposi-
ton.
z. Medicinal plants. DIR. r. III. True, the
expert in charge of this division. has pre-
pared a large list of plants that grow nor
mally in this latitude which will be shown
alive and growing.
s. The tropical plants of the American
island possessions will be shown outdoors
in classes as well as the primitive agricul-
tural implements which the natives use in
tilling the soil.
9. Test crops New economic plants
which are under cultivation in other coun-
tries will be shown in this exhibit to dem
onstrate the possibility of cultivating them
In this latitude
TO- The common poisonous plants, such
as the loco and the poison hemlock, which
create havoc among stock. will be shown
that the farmer may learn to identify
them and thus circumscribe the damage
they do. Poison ivy, poison oak. poison
shumac and such plants will also be shown.
each properly placarded that the visitor
may know them.
IL Fiber plants, such as fax. hemp. cot
ton, jute and sisal will be shown. together
with the products from them in various
stages.
T. A school garden. such is used in
some of the Eastern States in instructing
public school pupils in nature. will be main
tanned, showing not only the ordinary dec
orative plants such as dahlias. asters. hol-
lyhocks. but also garden vegetables. such
as radishes. cabbage. turnips and caui-
flower, will have a place here.
Mr.. Spiilman believes that ten acres will
be suficient for all these purposes. He him
self Will have charge of the grasses and
forage plants. The details Of the other ex-
hibits will be worked out by their heads
of departments. NJ. A. Carleton will have
charge of the cereals. v. X. Chestnut will
have charge OF the poisonous plants. L. III.
Dewey win have charge Of the fiber plants.
DIR. B. T. Galloway. the chief OF the Bu
reau of Plant Industry. and his assistant.
A. F. Woods. will be In charge Of the ex-