278 REPORT OF OFFICE OF EXPERIMENT STATIONS. 



square feet of floor space of the large aiulitoriuni and tlie special 

 structures erected for the occasion. The prizes ollered in the various 

 contests aggregated in value over $50,000. It is estinuited that the 

 total attendance was 100,000, an average of 10,000 each day. 



The magnitude of the exposition was alone such as to bring pronii- 

 nentl}' to pul)lic notice the important position of American agri- 

 culture, but, as expressed by another farm journal, the exposition 

 " was far more than a mere display of specimens. It was a short 

 course of study." The more })oiiular and spectacular features, 

 together with those more directly for business purjioses, were by no 

 means disregarded, but a notable circumstance was the unusual 

 attention devoted to educational phases, thereby making the ex- 

 position an educational agency, especially in the realm of farm 

 crops, such as the International Live Stock Exposition has become 

 in the field of animal production. 



Although in name this was the second national corn exposition, 

 the first having been held in Chicago in October, 1907, the Omaha 

 show was the first to be developed to so elaborate a degree. Like its 

 predecessor, it was in name an exposition of corn and maize, and 

 its products easily predominated, but the term was broadly inter- 

 preted to include other cereals, grasses, an alfalfa palace, special 

 exhibits of the work of the agricultural colleges and experiment 

 stations, a large exhibit of farm machinery, a model kitchen, a 

 students' judging contest, and many other features of interest and 

 value. A complete distillery i3lant for the production of denatured 

 alcohol was in operation, under the auspices of the Bureau of 

 Chemistry in this Department. 



Over half of the entries w^ere in what was known as the junior in- 

 dustrial section. This consisted of exhibits from young people, and 

 included displays of articles made from corn and other grains b}' the 

 pupils of both rural and city schools, and samples of the corn grown 

 by boys' corn clubs and similar organizations, as well as by indi- 

 viduals. Many of these entries were extremely suggestive as indica- 

 tive that appeal is being made with success to the farmer of the 

 future as well as of the present. 



The educational value of the corn exhibit was much enhanced by an 

 ingenious arrangement through which the racks were so constructed 

 as to make it possible to see every ear entered. Significant, indeed, 

 was the very evident improvement in quality which has been brought 

 about during the past few years. Hundreds of entries of large, well- 

 matured, uniform samples, of rich color and high proportion of 

 kernel to cob, met the eyes in bewildering profusion and rendered 

 extremely difficult the rating of the samples by the judges. In the 

 wheat section there was not only an exhibit of imj^roved types and 

 strains, but the judging of the various samples themselves was also 



