B U R E A U S   O F

AGRICULTURE   --   HORTICULTURE  

FORESTRY   --   AND   --   IRRIGATION



Prof. Frederick W. Taylor,

University of Nebraska,

Superintendent

Richard S. Berlin,

Assistant Supt. of Agricultural Bureau.



During 1897, Prof. Taylor engaged partly in promotive work for the Exposition,
the securing of Conventions, National and Annual meetings of Societies, etc. 
The best comment that could be offered on his work in this regard, is the fact
that he got everything he went after.  It is results that give value to
service.

Pro. Taylor's report to the Department, was as follows

December 27, 1898.
Mr. E.E. Bruce,

Chief Department of Exhibits,
T.M. & I.E., Omaha, Nebr.

Dear Sir:

I beg to submit to you the following report of the more important matters
connected with the administration of the bureaus placed in my charge on June
1st, 1897.

After laying out the general plans along which it seemed desirable to have the
exhibits handled, the first work taken up was the attending of a number of the
various national organizations whose work relates to  Agriculture and
Horticulture in order that they might be put in touch with our plans, and also
that they might be invited to hold their 1898 meetings in Omaha.  THe first one
of these attended was the American Association of Nurserymen at St. Louis,
early in June, 1897.  The matter of the 1898 meeting when presented was decided
in favor  of Omaha, and at the proper time their organization held a very
satisfactory meeting.

At various times throughout the summer I visited the following organizations
with the same ends in view.

Society of American Florists, Providence, R.I.

American Forestry Association & Nat'l Goods Roads Parliament, 
Nashville.

Nebraska State Horticultural Society, Lincoln.

American Ass'n of Agricultural Colleges and Experiment Stations, Minneapolis.

American Association of Farmers' Institute Managers, Columbus, Ohio.

American Maize Propaganda, Chicago.

All these organizations, without exception voted to hold their meetings in
Omaha, in accordance with our request, but in the case of one, The American
Association of Agriculture Colleges & Experiment Stations, the Executive
Committee saw fit to decide otherwise during the interim before the time to
hold the meeting.  Through reaching these various organizations, much was done
in the way of advertising and giving information concerning the intentions of
the Exposition along agricultural and horticultural lines, and I think the
latter work was much facilitated through the fact that the more important firms
and organizations in these lines of work, already knew, when asked to
participate individually, about what was to be done.  One very important result
of drawing the attention of the larger growers to the Exposition was the
securing of the materials for nearly all the bedding down of the Bluff Tract
from exhibitors.  Had this not been done, it would have been necessary to
purchase for similar use, a large amount of material.
The two buildings provided for housing the exhibits which were in my charge, -
viz:  The Agricultural Building and the Horticultural Building, were very good
structures in general, and very well suited to the requirements.

There was one very serious defect in the Agricultural Building, arising from a
misconception of the entrance which was likely to be used by the people, which
caused no small amount of trouble, although nothing serious occurred.  I refer
to the small size of the east and west doors of the building.  It was doubtless
thought by the architects, that the south doors would be largely used by the
public, but such proved  not to be the case, and the east and west doors were
entirely inadequate to serve the needs of the large crowds especially on the
special days.  Another serious trouble in this building was the defect in the
roofing, resulting in bad leaks.  The Horticultural Building was very
satisfactory  to all the exhibitors and to the public, and I think was fully as
well suited to its uses, as any building on the grounds.  The securing of the
large century plant, as a center piece under the dome, was a very satisfactory
arrangement, especially during the early part of the season, when exhibits were
hard to maintain.

INSTALLATION.  

It was not an easy matter to bring about concerted action on the part of
exhibitors so that the installation should be a of high class, which it was
essential to have in order that the general results might be desirable, and
when we consider the small amount of funds available by many exhibitors, I
think the results were all that could have have been expected, and more.  The
exhibits in the Horticultural Building were participated in by thirteen states,
as well as a number of individual exhibitors.  Many of the state exhibits was
participated in by a large number of individuals so that in the whole, there
was probably, not less than six hundred different exhibitors in this building. 
We had no way of knowing the exact number, as reports were not made to us of
the number of individuals participating in each exhibit.

In Agriculture the number of states participating was, fifteen, and there were
in addition, many exhibits by private persons and corporations.  In this
building were put nearly all of the forestry exhibits and such irrigation
exhibits as were admissible inside buildings.  From this it will be seen that,
although my work was divided into four bureaus, it practically was but two, as
forestry came with agriculture, and irrigation might have been classed, either
with agriculture or irrigation.

The feature most commented upon with regard to the exhibits in the Agricultural
Building was the large use made of the various grains in a decorative way to
illustrate the productiveness of the various states.  It was said repeatedly,
and I think with truth, that in this particular this exhibit stood ahead of any
exhibit of the kind, ever made.  There seems to have been a general growth
dating from the Trans-Mississippi Exposition, a natural consequence, perhaps of
the immense strides made by this industry in America, resulting in putting the
United States far ahead of all other grain growing countries in acreage, as
well as in bushels produced.

In Horticulture, perhaps the most notable thing was the fact that from the
opening day to the closing day there was never a time that there was not upon
the table a large and attractive exhibit of fresh fruits.  At all other
expositions it has been impossible to open on advertised time with a good
exhibit, because of the fact that so little attention has been paid to the use
of cold storage by the states of Nebraska, Iowa and Illinois for this
particular purpose and in most cases the fruit came through in excellent
condition so that when put upon the table it might have been fresh from the
trees so far as fine appearance was concerned.

A W A R D S.

In Agriculture three member jury was used in judging exhibits, in Horticulture,
on the other hand, a more modern method of using a single expert juror was
followed with the most satisfactory results to all concerned.  We were
fortunate in being able to secure the services of the Hon. E.E. Vandeman of
Virginia, for a number of years United States Pomologist, and his decisions
were in every case satisfactory to those who made the exhibits, as well as to
the representatives of the Exposition.  In both departments, however, there was
no complaint practically and the highest commendation should be given to the
gentlemen who consented to act as jurors.  They were all men of the highest
standing whose decisions were above suspicion.

C O N C E S S I O N S.

My own opinion, as frequently expressed, was that the putting of concessions in
exhibit buildings is never desirable and when carried beyond the smallest
percentage possible as compared with the number of exhibits is not only
troublesome but absolutely pernicious.  In the Horticulture Building only three
concessions were admitted and these were conducted in such a way as to
interfere in no wise with exhibitors nor with those who were visiting the
exposition in order to study the exhibits.  In the Agricultural Building,
however, many more concessions were admitted and, to my mind, there is no
question that they reduced the value of the exhibits to a certain extent?  I
think the judgment of those connected with expositions, both here and
elsewhere, has been that the admissions of more than a very small number of
well conducted concessions detracts from the dignity of the exposition and is a
means of producing dissatisfaction and adverse comment from visitors.

O U T S I D E   E X H I B I T S.

There was secured through the Bureau of Horticulture as exhibits,  twenty seven
exhibitors, who furnished material for beds on the grounds on the Bluff tract. 
These were of the greatest value to the Exposition as such, and also proved a
highly satisfactory method of exhibiting their wares on the part of the various
florists, all of whom have expressed to me their entire satisfaction with that
method of exhibiting.  Of those directly connected with me in the more public
work of the bureau of my charge, I wish to express my sincere appreciation of
the assistance rendered by Mr. H.B. Hardt, the Assistant Chief of the
Department, who by his wide knowledge of expositions in general, was able to
afford very much valuable information and many helpful suggestions.  Shortly
before the opening of the Exposition, Mr. R.S. Berlin was appointed by the
Executive Committee, assistant superintendent of the Department of Agriculture,
and to him also, I wish to express my hearty appreciation of valuable services
rendered.  Mr. Berlin was always willing to assist in every way possible and he
proved very popular with the exhibitors and was very helpful in every way.

In summing up, it  may not be out of place to mention that, as representing the
department of exhibits, not only in my own bureaus, but often in other ways, I
visited, not only the organizations which are enumerated at the beginning of
this report, but made many trips which took me, in the aggregate, into 22
different states east of the Mississippi River and eight west of it.  During my
trips it was my duty and pleasure, not only to look after exhibit work in
general but also to do more or less along the line of Publicity and Promotion,
in which work I co-operated under the instruction of the General Secretary and
the Executive Committee and with the chief of the Department of Publicity and
Promotion.  In this way I visited the governors commissioners and other
officers, who were co-operating in one way or another with the Exposition, and
did what I could to stimulate them in their work.  Exact results from work of
this kind are almost impossible to present, but in general it may be said that
whatever states were visited and the officials thoroughly informed as to just
what was actually being done prepatory to the exposition, there was a
noticeable increase of interest thereafter, due to the fact of their having
definite knowledge.  In this way it seems likely that all such visits were
productive of much more than enough good to pay for their cost.

In closing, permit me to extend my thanks to you, who as chief of the
department of Exhibits, always supported my work in that way which makes it
easy and withal a pleasure to carry it on.

Yours very truly,

(Signed.)  F.W. Taylor
Supt. Bureaus  Agriculture, Horti-
culture Etc.