The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-11-15

| buildings, With the exception or rlie
group around the Plaza and basin the
effect did not seem to us equal to
! Chicago. One has to travel so far TO
visit the various buildings and there is
so much rough ground intervening
that the effect of the whole is married
to q. great extent. The Agricultural
| building, however. is the greatest show
building ever erected. Its immense eX-
tent may be realized by the fact tina,
there are in ii ! 2 miles of aisles. In the
immensely of display California seemed
to lead, and her display gives one a
wonderful notion of the great Pacific
Coast state with its wide variety Of
products. Illinois is, of course, great
in corn and one of the most attract
i've displays in her collection is the
two great pyramids, one of white and
one of yellow corn containing the
competition displays of corn grown
by the farmer boys of Illinois. OF all
the exhibits of the work of the Elk
pertinent stations we were most inter-
ested in that of the Illinois station, eS-
pecially as the bright young man IN
charge of it was a former student
with u.s. This station has done more
work in the study of the corn plant
and in the soil of the State than most
! others Anyone who thinks hat all soils
are alike. as Bulletin No. 22 would
lead us TO suppose. can easily see from
the exhibits of the plant-food con-
tents of the soils Of different sections
of Illinois that there is wonderful
variation And the crops shown as
grown on these soils i'm their natural
state and by the aid of different fer
filters, show very plainly that all of
them are helped by an application of
phosphorus in the form of phOsphOric
acid. and that in one section the soil
is particularly deficient in potash.
oil no hof
have long insisted that the naturally
tall growing corn of the South can be
brought to a more dwarf shape, so
that ii can be planted closer, by
breeding from the low down ears. In
the Illinois Station exhibit is q strik-
ing illustration of the correctness of
our method. Stalks of corn are shown
with the ears almost out of reach, and
right alongside of these are stalks with
the ears nearly two feet lower down,
the result of a single seasons Selec-
ton from low down ears. We COM
mend this exhibit to the Kansas man
who said such breeding is impossible.
The experiments made to increase the
protein content of corn at the Illinois
station are also interesting to North
ern growers and feeders, but of less
interest in the South, where the
abundance of protein in cotton seed
and other crops makes it more i'm
pOrtant to keep corn in its natural
carbonaceous shape.
But those who think the corn belt
of the Central West is the only place
where corn is grown, should examine
the fine corn exhibit from Maryland,
while Pennsylvania shows corn, too,
in fine shape. But the greatest corn
exhibit in the building is the great pa
villon or corn place built by Mis-
souri,. This is wonderfully artistic
structure, and the oldest thing about
it was that the awarding committee
did not seem TO have seen it, and made
no mention of it, though every visi-
tor is at once attracted by it.
Canada shows by her exhibit that
she produces many things besides
snow and ice. Her great display of
mammoth mangels reminded one
more of the average coun-
building, especially as it was topped
off by a 400-pound pumpkin, or rather
squash. The tobacco show was good,
and we'll illustrated the treat variety
of types of the weed produced in this
country. But it would be impossible
to fully describe all the products of
various lands shown in this great
structure, for it's immensely fairly be-
WilderS one. Among the grain exhib-
its, that of New Zealand was particu-
larly interesting. Never in all our life
have we ever seen such perfect sam
pies of wheat and oats as are shown
from this far-away land. The oats
We're the heaviest we have ever
handled, and show that the climate
there is wonderfully adapted to small
grains, though the sheep industry
seems to be in the cad The Prac-
teal Farmer has some intelligent read
ers in New Zealand and we hope some
of them were responsible for the fine
products shown.
In the great area of territory on
which the Philippine exhibit is placed
we were, of course interested in look
ing at the natives of the various tribes.
The guards there are the native con-
Stabuary. These in their neat uni
forms reminded us of the fighting Japs,
and they certainly looked to us like
men able to govern their own land.
The naked Igorrotes were fine phySi-
cal specimens and their women, who
were here and there scattered en-
gagged in weaving cloth in a crude
way, have learned to speak English
quite correctly since they have been
here. But, of course, everyone goes
through the pike with its SHOWS and
fakirs. To us the most interesting
thing there was the Japanese Bazaar.
where the most exquisite china was
on sale in great quantity. We bought
Il few samples for home, and the way
one of the neat little JapS packed that
ware for us to carry was surprising.
When he had finished the package we
believe we could have used it as Il
stool without breaking piece. The
horticultural show, with the excep-
ton of apples and California pears,
was disappointing. In ornamental
horticulture the show does not COM
pare with the old Centennial at Phil
adelphia, at least in the building
The frost had damaged the outside
beds to some extent, but we do not
think it has been any great advance
on other shows.