Omaha daily bee., 1909-12-16
GOVERNMENT DISPLAY POPULAR
Uncle sam Has Something of Real
Interest 90 show.


The government Is attracting a larger
proportion Of the visitors to the exposition
each day. The large room In the basement
Of the Auditorium Is a most popular place
and the government experts areNa hand
constantly to explain the different exhibit
tions which the United States has pre-
pared with great care. The government
exhibit is a study in itself and Cts many
departments are sure to furnish Something
Of interest to the visitors.
The bureau Of plant Industry is one Of
the largest bureaus in the Department Of
Agriculture and embraces a wide and
varied field of research directly connected
with many diverse agricultural Industries,
The greater portion Of the exhibits is In
stalled in double pavilion cases. In addi-
ton there are many colored drawings, en-
larged bromide pictures and transparencles,
These lines Of research are represented:
Cereals. pomology. pure-seed Investigations.
vegetable pathology, plant introduction and
plant breeding.
The organization Of the bureau, it's Diff
ferent lines Of work and Investigations,
the locations OF the stations in the sew
eral states where experiments are being
carried on are shown upon framed charts.
Work along one or more lines is now being
conducted by the scientific staff of the
bureau In every state and territory in the
union.
Standard varieties of commercial apples
and promising new kinds fll the shelves
OF six glass fronts Of three double cases.
Over 600 apples models are embraced in
this collection. One case Is devoted to
peach varieties, including the Persian. the
Chinese cling, the Peento, the Honey and
the Spanish groups, Illustrated by about
go models. In all these cases are small maps,
which Indicate the general regions where
each species or variety is grown. These
fruit models sfford authentic representa-
tions Of fruit varieties valuable for Illus
trating publications, aiding in or correcting
nomenclature and in other phases of the
work of the pomologist.
Owing to the great commercial impor-
lance of the grain industry eight cases
are devoted to an exhibit of small grains,
wheat, oats, barley, grain sorghums, rice,
etc. An unusually fine and carefully Sc
lected series of samples. embracing all
the varieties imported by the department
during recent. years, are shown. Here
are seen the forms of durum wheat
Of which the Kubanka has become
famous, the Turkey, the Kharkov,
the Minnesota, the Ghirka spring
wheat, q hardy drouth-resistant sort
OI excellent quality lne DeSI NaIl0tlSs
Of onts including the Swedish Select
and Sixty-day varieties; varieties Of bar
ley. emmer and spelt. The grain s%orghums
include the Kowliang, the Kaffir, the
Milo and Durra varieties. The rice dis
play includes hulled and unhulled sam
pies Of varieties now being experimental
with, including a number of the most
desirable sorts. One case contains speci-
mems Which show the principal diseases
of cereals, such as wheat scab, ergot,
various forms of blight, smut and rust.
The labels in all the grain cases give in
formation of practical value.
One double case contains material Illus
trating some of the features of the work
Of the bureau on corn. There are speci-
mems showing the typical varieties grown
In the different regions of the United
States, others show corn varieties, while
still others show the results obtained by
breeding for increasing productiyeness
and other special purposes. This case
also contains an interesting series of
photographs connected with the subject
of corn investigation.
Pure seed investigation Is a thoroughly
practical and very important line of work
carried on In the seed laboratory Of the
bureau. The appliances and a working
exhibit giving daily demonstrations of
testing seeds for purity and termination
are interesting features Of this exhibit.
A unique series of photographs of forage
plant seeds, their common adulterants
and the weed seeds commonly found in
commercial seeds are all instructive and
add value to the pure seed display. Seed
men as well as those who buy seeds for
the farm will be well repaid by carefully
studying this part of the government ex-
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