XXXIV REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE. 



nutrition and fermentation. Each branch is in charge of an assistant, 

 who is responsible for the main details connected with his partic- 

 ular line of work. The division of labor effected by this arrange- 

 ment has led to excellent results, responsibilities being placed where 

 they should rest, and each man being led to take special interest in 

 developing his held. 



CEREAL WORK AND CEREALS AT THE PARIS EXPOSITION. 



During the year special attention was given to the study of cereals, 

 their diseases being investigated and a number of new lines of work 

 inaugurated. The most important work, however, consisted in the 

 collection and installation of a commercial cereal exhibit at the Paris 

 Exposition. This work was planned to give the world some idea of the 

 enormous resources of the United States in the matter of grain and 

 grain production. Every effort was put forth to make the exhibit as 

 striking as possible, and its effect on our commercial relations with 

 other countries was kept in mind throughout the entire work. The 

 exhibits of only a few countries, such as Cajiada, Russia, and Hungaiy, 

 compared well with the exhibit of the United States as regards qualit}" 

 of grain, and only those of Canada, France, and Hungary compared 

 at all with our exhibit in both quality and variety. 



An excellent opportunity was afforded for showing our wonderful 

 capacit}" in the production of dent corn. Not only was the entire corn 

 collections from other countries small as compared with ours, but they 

 were composed almost entirely of flint varieties. In all the work 

 special emphasis was placed on leading export varieties of wheat, corn, 

 and other cereals, the number of separate exhibits entered being about 

 1,500. Appreciation of the work of the United States was generously 

 manifested b}^ the numerous awards in class 39, which included cereals. 

 The exhibit unquestionabh' aided in bringing the resources of this 

 countiT as regards grain production into prominent notice, and also 

 served as a valuable means of gaining knowledge as to the possibilities 

 of other countries in this direction. 



PLANT BREEDING. 



The plant-breeding work was pushed forward as rapidly as possible, 

 mainly along lines similar to those upon which work was conducted 

 last yeai'. The orange hybrids, made with a view of securing hardier 

 sorts, have been placed at various points in the South, and cooperative 

 experiments have been inaugurated at several experiment stations to 

 test the value of these hj^brids. The work in corn breeding, begun in 

 1899, was continued and considerably extended. The features of 

 importance aimed at in connection with this work are earh' maturity, 

 drought resistance, resistance to smut, increased protein content, and 



