NEW YORK, AUGUST 11, 1893. 



BOTANY AT THE PAIR 



BY H. L. BOLLEY, FAEGO, NOETH DAKOTA. 



Aside from the extensive 02:)portunities for notes and 

 observations upon miscellaneous herbaria and growing 

 plants, collected from all jaarts of the earth, which are 

 open to visitors of the Fair, it may not be inapijropriate 

 to note some of the special attractions for such persons as 

 are botanically inclined. 



VtTiile the name Horticulture has the place of honor 

 upon the great plant house in the west piortion of the 

 Park, the place is none the less of botanical interest. In- 

 deed, if adverse criticism is at all deserved in this depart- 

 ment, it would be along the line that it is more a huge 

 botanic garden than a horticultural show. 



The amateur botanist, who, at his place of training, has 

 complained that he has not been afforded sufficient oppor- 

 tunity for observation upon varied plant life, may in this 

 building introduce himself to almost all known varieties 

 of cultivated flowering and ornamental plants, which are 

 representative of all lands. It is useless to attempt cita- 

 tions. None shown, however, are of more interest than 

 the specimens representative of dwarfing methods, as con- 

 ducted by the Jajjanese gardeners. 



Grasses: Each exhibitor, fully understanding the im- 

 portance of grasses and forage plants in an agricultural 

 exhibit, has made careful effort to have his State or region 

 fully represented as to its capabilities of producing these 

 lines of plants. The great agricultural hall and the dif- 

 ferent State and national buildings thus , present, in the 

 aggregate, a list of native and cultivated grasses, more ex- 

 tensive as to numbers and more properly prepared for 

 educational effect as to their qualities, form, growth, char- 

 acteristics, etc., than it has ever previously been possible 

 for any one to examine. Many of the States have full dis- 

 plays in bunch form, showing all characters, roots, leaves 

 and seeds; while, again, ordinary herbarium specimens are 

 to be noted almost anywhere one may go in the agricul- 

 tural exhibits. 



College and Experiment Station Exhilnt : Located in the 

 southeast corner of the agricultural building is the col- 

 lective exhibit of agricultural colleges and experiment 

 stations. Here again in the botanical alcove the varied 

 nature of the exhibits makes it probable that few may 

 pass through without noticing something individually in- 

 teresting. Necessarily, the above is arranged more for 

 show purposes than as a working laboratory, yet very 

 much of the best work that has been done at the different 

 stations is here represented, either by work in actual 

 operation, aj)paratiis, or by results graphically displayed. 

 There are numerous photographs and di-awings repre- 

 senting results gained in accurate exjierimental tests, as, 

 for example, graphic results in crossing, by L. H. Bailey; 

 results obtained in sp)raying for potato rot, by L. E. 



Jones, and many others. Photographs are shown of Euro- 

 pean and other foreign botanists, together with nearly a 

 full list of our experimental botanists. 



All the more common jalant diseases are rej)resented by 

 pathological specimens, drawings, microjDhotographs and 

 maps of distribution. This exhibit is a most varied and 

 interesting one, containing, aside from the numerous 

 si^ecimens representing rusts, smuts, mildews, bacterial 

 diseases, etc., many illustrations of results gained in pre- 

 vention of j)lant diseases, such, for example, as grape rot, 

 apple scab, potato rot and p)otato scab. 



Different methods of seed-testing are in operation, dis- 

 playing, among others, the following 23ieces: Nobbe's ajj- 

 paratus, Kiel-Zurioh-Geneva germinator, the North Caro- 

 lina seedpan, and E. S. Goff's various improved ap)pli- 

 ances. There are also illustrations of water and sand 

 cultures, and various ajopliances and spiecimens too nu- 

 merous to be listed at this time, among which may be 

 noted B. D. Halsted's weeds and weed seeds, an exhibit of 

 root tubercules upon native legumes, good microscopic 

 exhibits, and T. L. Scribner's complete micro-ishotographic 

 outfit. 



Plant Physiology : A case full of apjaaratus for the study 

 of sjjecial questions in j^lant physiology, prepared by Prof. 

 J. C. Arthur, is worthy of special notice by any one who 

 may pass through the laboratory. With the exception of 

 a few standard jjieces, all the different appliances had 

 their origin and construction in the Purdue laboratories, 

 and in finish are elegant examples of student work. 

 Only mention may be made of a few of the more interest- 

 ing pieces. Suffice it to say that probably no laboratory 

 in the country has at this time an equally interesting col- 

 lection of original or modified pieces for this sort of work. 

 Noticeable among these are the following: Eespiration 

 ajjpliances, a modification of Sach's mej;hod for determina- 

 tion of amount of carbon dioxide exhaled by plants; an 

 apparatus for the comjjarison of normal and intramolecular 

 breathing of seedlings, and one to illustrate intramolecular 

 breathing of yeast in an atmosphere of carbon dioxide 

 gas; auxanometers of three types of construction; chuo- 

 stats of common type and one of intermittent action. This 

 last jDiece is new and original, of elegant construction, and 

 is especially applicable to the studj' of the force of habit 

 as evidenced in plant life. There are dynamometers of 

 various types for measuring various plant forces; trans- 

 jjiration pieces, including a jDotetometer for the quantita- 

 tive determination of the amount of water given off by a 

 given leaf surface in a given length of time; a poroscope; 

 root-pressure appliances, and many smaller jjieces, which 

 are quantitative in their results. With all these contents, 

 this case is worthy of the close consideration of any per- 

 son interested in plant physiology. If all the pieces are 

 not as suited to their work as might be wished, they are 

 at least much to be preferred to those with which most of 

 us have worked, and indicate future possibilities of more 

 accurate results in this field of botany. Finally, there is 

 a chance for most interesting study in two bacteriological 

 laboratories, each fitted with all the latest and more 

 essential appliances. 



