The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-10-19
ENTERTAINING GAMES
BY OUR OFFICIALS
A Washington letter says:

A Washington letter says:
One thing that very few persons know.
is that United States Government off,
Gals play what would be to boys en-
tertaining games every day a part of
| their serious work of nations.
There is one man-an old and grave
and wise and famous professor-who may
be seen often in his office in Washing
ton standing on chairs and desks, launch
ing little paper birds and funny contri-
vances through the air and watching
them soar and settle with just the same
interest and delight with which boys and
girls would watch them
IF folks who did not know who he is
We're to behold him they might well be
excused for imagining that the old gen
tieman was growing childish But prob
ably there are few persons in the coun-
try to-day who know better what they
are ABOUT than he does. For he is one OF
the foremost scientists OF the Smithson-
ion Institution, and some day IT is ex-
pected that he Will teach the world how
to build flying machine that really will
fly.
Often, after he has played good and
hard with the little paper toys, he dis
appears. Then the other scientists know
that he is doyt1 in a lonely part of the
Potomac river, experimenting with biz
flying machines that have been built &C
cording to- ideas gained by him from his
toys.
And while this professor is flying his
Things, the chance is that not far away
other wise men are playing with little
toy gardens. These are patches lust big
oneugh for children to weed and hoe.
These patches are watered with small
graduated watering pots. and with scales
Httle pincheS of fertilizer and other
plant foods are measured out for each.
Big men sit over them and watch them
and peer into them, and fondle the 1T
tie leaves, one by one, just as children
would do.
But every few weeks one Of the play
ers sits down at his desk and writes. and
soon afterward the government issues q
pamphlet that tells farmers all over the
world just how they can handle their
farms to make them yield more and bet
ter crops.
All over the country are other men en-
ployed by the government who go out
every day with butterfly nets to catch
butterflies and grasshoppers and count
less other insects. Some go out at night
with lanterns and honey pots and sit
down in the shelter of shrubery. waiting
Lie SIltt4i
be attracted by the keen scent of the
honey which they love- Often the moths
drink honey until they are drunk. when
they can be picked up by the bare hand,
without even needing a net.
That is not bad play either. Yet that
kind Of play has saved the people of the
Unitel States millions OF dollars. for the
insect hunters find out so mitch about
the insects that destroy vegetation and 4
FRI chaf a that know
just when to look out for their arrival
and just how to destroy tn I'M before they
become big enough TO eat the growing
things.
Last year. men in the agricultural de-
partment in Washington, played at
most absorbing game. that surely would
have pleased every boy and girl in the
land They planted seeds OF many kinds
in tiny pots, one seed in each pot. and
then day after day the photographed
the pots.
Thus they made many hundreds Of pic
lures that. when they were all put to-
gether, shows just how the plants
grew. And these pictures We're put in
to one OF those great kaleidoscope ma
chimes that throw large moving pictures
on screens, SO now everybody can see
a plant grow from a seed to mighty
shrub.
only, instead of having to watch it
for months and years. we can all see 1t
within a few minutes, for the machine
throws the pictures on the screen Just
as fast as ono may wish
This already has taught farmers and !
florists many things about plants that
never had been suspected before. al |
though so many sharp-eyed persons
have watched plants grow for SO many
centuries
], few years ago the United States
government imported the beautiful and
valuable date palm, hoping to make 1t
grow in the sandy and dry parts OF Arr
IONA and New Mexico and other spots
of the United States where other do
nestle plants do not thrive. The date
palms did fairly well, but not we'll
enough to please the department of ag-
liculture SO it sent one OF Its men away
ont to Africa and across the desert Of
SAHARA to find the GASES and see how
palms grow there.
lie found gorgeous evergreen morn
ing glory twining all over the houses
of the Arabs. And then he found the
beautiful GASES. and when he returned
it was with many cameis. all laden with
fine date palms.
And these are growing finely now in
our country. That was real Arabian
Nights play trip that has been worth
lots and lots of money to the country.
everybody may see in the many weather
observing stations of the government.
There are busy little windmills. turning
like anything. and funny little round
disks on arms that dance all the time.
and queer spiral glass tubes that move
lead pencils over charts
A weather observatory would be the
very place of all that any child would Sc
lect, if it could have its way. for play
room. There are so many funny instru-
inents and scores on scores of lueer-coI-
ored flags, and little gaudy-colored Lam
terms, that ones heart quite fills with a
desire to play@with them.
ct even while one is looking at them
turn and dance those tempting toys may
be telling of storm that&is killing folk
and blowing houses down far away. The
little flags and lanterns. when hoisted,
may seem anything but toys to the sailor.
F'ol' some OF them spell h2<r.cane. and
others talk Of hail and ray and others
warm all human kind to stay snug In
shelter
There was a learned man in woods
Hole, in Massachusetts, the Nother dav.
who had prea finn