REPORT OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY. 177 



portaut forest trees of the United States, with samples of their seeds. 

 These were accompanied by maps showing- the location of forests, prai- 

 ries and other treeless regions of the country, and the tanner's interest 

 in forest property. The same division sent a series of photographs 

 illustrating the effects of deforestation, another to show the methods 

 adopted in France for restoring the forests, and a third to direct atten- 

 tion to the results of tree planting in the city of Washington. The 

 Pomological Division sent a series of colored drawings of the principal 

 American and English fruits. The Mycological Division prepared a 

 collection to show the various diseases of plants and the methods of 

 treating them. The Ornithological Division sent a very interesting col- 

 lection of the birds which are either directly or indirectly beneficial or 

 injurious to agriculture, with a list of the various animals and plants 

 upon which they feed. The Division of Animal Industries forwarded 

 specimens illustrating the diseases of animals, their distribution, and 

 the apparatus and methods employed in their study and treatment. 

 The Chemical Division established a laboratory for practical work in 

 agricultural chemistry, under the supervision of Mr. Gr. L. Spencer, who 

 was in attendance at the Exposition to explain the details of the various 

 methods. The Statistical Division sent several series of maps and 

 charts to show, first, the distribution of the different food plants and 

 other plants of economic interest; second, the area devoted to the cul- 

 tivation of each, with statistics of production at different periods; third, 

 the effect of price upon production; and fourth, the yearly export of 

 agricultural products to different countries. 



Pout Office Department. — The exhibits of this Department occupied 

 about 2,500 square feet in the east wing of the Park building at the end 

 adjoining the central fountain. They were prepared under the direction 

 of Maj. R. D. S. Tyler, representative of the Department. The main 

 feature of the exhibit was a working post-office, complete in every par- 

 ticular, which, through the cooperation of the postmaster at Cincin- 

 nati, supplied the necessary mail facilities for the Exposition. Adjoin- 

 ing this was an exhibit consisting of objects, models, and pictures 

 illustrating the work of the several branches of the postal service. 

 These included representations of the various methods of carrying the 

 mails, such as the mounted carrier, sled, stage-coach, postal-car, and 

 both river and ocean steamers, maps showing the post routes with the 

 frequency of service and the location of the various offices, photographs 

 of the principal post-office buildings of the United States and of several 

 European countries, portraits of the leading post-office officials, copies 

 of postmasters' appointments, and the uniforms worn by post-office 

 employes of this and other countries. It contained also publications 

 relating to the history and growth of the postal service, copies of postal 

 treaties, collections of stamps, both domestic and foreign, samples of 

 American and international postal cards, postal uotes, and inouej 

 II. Mis. 224, pt. 2 1l> 



