Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-07-02

Write us and our physicians will
ut charge.
PEcEF7c en-. ATxAMTA- CA.
the Mississippi from those of the com.
paratively clear Ohio at the junction
OF the two rivers at Cairo, III.
For School Children.
A unique feature of the governments
open air exhibit is the school garden
that occupies large section extending
Ton the garden map) over the Domin-
ion of Canada from Maine to Mime
sofa. This exhibit is under the per-
sonal direction of Prof. Wheeler of
Michigan, of the United States depart
ment of agriculture. The liberal space
allotted to this exhibit has been cut up
into numerous subdivisions, and each
of these subdivisions in turn is turned
over to the various ST. Louis schools.
class of pupils is selected by the
principal of the school so honored, and
the actual work of planting and cult
waiting the garden is left to the pupils,
under, of course, the general direction
of Prof Wheeler. Liberal prizes are
offered for the best cultivated garden
and for the best results. The sight of
the little tots in their knickerbockers
and bingham dresses, their sailor hats
and sunbonnets, equipped with hoe and
rake, is sight all too seldom seen.
The immense grass garden grown I'M
der the personal direction of Prof.
Spillman, who was selected by the Bu-
reau Of Plant Industry to. have charge
of the entire open-air exhibit, is one of
SURPRISING value and interest. This
grass garden occupies on the fve-acre
plot all of the space in the Atlantic
ocean from Maine to Florida, and,
rounding the peninsular, occupies a
large portion of the Gulf Of Mexico, off
Florida's west coast.
In the northern section Of that exhi-
bit are a series of sand dunes, con-
structed SO as properly to exhibit the
sand-binding grasses. These grasses
lsend their strong and vigorous roots
down through the shifting sands and
finally entrench themselves in the solid
soil. As the plant becomes more firm
| ly established and sends up it's super
growth, the roots firmly anchor 1t, pro-
| tecting it from the rayages of the wind
and hold it in its place. The plant en-
riches the barren sand on which twas
originally planted. and in the course of
not a great many years a rich soil
takes the place OF what was once bar
rem sandy stretch of no value.
! OF Interest To All.
| While the arrangement of the ex-
hibits in the form Of the monster map
will fasten the eye more quickly and
will challenge the admiration of every
visitor to the fair, the agriculturist
and horticulturist will find in the ex-
hibits surrounding the map other
exhibits of equal interest and impor
/ lance.
Pathology of plants is treated in an
extensive exhibit in the territory of
the map that would be British Colum-
bia did the map extend further than
the United States. This exhibit is un.
der the personal direction of Pro.
| Woods of the department Of agricul-
ture, and illustrates how the growing
of plants of economic value are affect
/ ed by diseases peculiar to plant life.
| Experiments will be conducted for the
benefit Of the agriculturist Economic
/ plants that are already affected are
4 growing on the tract, and other areas
| of strong and healthy plants of the
same species are inoculated with the
i spores of the disease and the results
| are carefully noted. The blight of the
pear, the black knot on the plum, pc.
4 tato blight and all of the other dis.
j eases of plant life will be shown, and
practical experiments showing the
methods of treatment will be carried
on and the results shown.
/. Plant breeding is given large sec
/ fio,, IN tho of tho M oS.
/. hibit. Here is shown the effect and
value of cross fertilization Varieties
of plants are often benefited by cross
! ing. Cherries, for instance. fertilized
4 by their own pollen. show no change
i in their fruit. but when fortified by
| the pollen of other varities of cherries
show marked change. Sometimes
the result is good and sometimes 9th.
i erwise. A strawberry that Yields
beautifully but is soft and will not
bear shipment is cross-fertilized Wit.
a variety of firmer berry, with tho
probable result after much patient ex.
perimenting of securing large in
4 crease in the yield while the fruit
will bear long shipment From the
4 seed of the fruit grown by cross-fer-
i tilization many of the valuable hybrids
are obtained
i Grasses.
i Off the east coast of Georgia is a
/. circular collection of twenty plots of
an average size of 10x20 feet planted
j to the best tested varieties of lawn
grasses. These plots are artistically
arranged and are separated by gray
ell walks. The small lawns are mar
vels of the landscape gardeners art
and the turf is so thick and SO well
kept that it appears as a velvet ca2:
pet.
II Still further south is the section de,
. voted to the ornamental grasses. Here
is shown the pampas grass growing UP
ten, twelve or fifteen feet high and all
the other ornamental grasses, includ