Hunt Institute for Botanical Documentation
A Research Division of Carnegie Mellon University

Hunt Institute Archives Text Discovery Platform

Search a large and growing portion of our online collections, including handwritten documents.
PROTOTYPE

This prototype uses state-of-the-art artificial intelligence, including a vision-language model (VLM) capable of reading handwritten documents as well as typed and printed text, to create searchable transcriptions of digitized materials in the Hunt Institute Archives. This makes it possible to search the textual contents of individual pages, including material that may not be described in the archival catalog.

Use Keyword search for specific words, names, dates, scientific names, or phrases. Try Semantic search (experimental) to describe a topic, question, or kind of material when you do not know the exact wording used in the documents.

About the AI-generated transcriptions

The transcriptions are generated automatically from page images and may contain errors, especially with difficult handwriting, unusual names, multiple languages, image-quality problems, or complex layouts. They are intended primarily as a discovery aid rather than authoritative transcriptions.

Each result provides the generated transcription and links to the original digitized material and associated archival description so that readings can be checked against the source. The transcription workflow uses AI models run locally by the Hunt Institute.

About Keyword and Semantic search

Keyword search is the default and matches the wording in the transcriptions. Results contain all your terms. Use quotes for an exact phrase. Substring matching is supported, so aceae can find plant-family names ending in -aceae.

Semantic search (experimental) is useful when you know what kind of material you are looking for but do not know the words used in the documents. It ranks transcribed passages by similarity of meaning, so relevant results may not contain the exact words in your query.

Semantic queries can be broad research topics, descriptions of activities or relationships, or natural-language questions. For example:

plant collecting and fieldwork in South America medicinal, culinary, or other traditional uses of plants chromosomes and plant classification early herbals and botanical illustrations botanical institutions exchanging plants, seeds, and specimens microscopy and photomicrography in botanical research How did botanists and gardeners introduce plants from one region to another? grafting, budding, and propagation of tropical fruit crops

Semantic search is not a chatbot: a question is used as a search query, and the system returns archival passages that appear conceptually related to it rather than generating an answer or summary. Short descriptions and ordinary research questions generally work better than lists of disconnected keywords. Quotation marks have no special meaning in Semantic mode. Cross-language matching may work in some cases, but it should not be treated as translation.

Keyword and Semantic search are complementary. Keyword search lets you require particular wording; Semantic search can surface differently worded passages about the same subject. Depending on the research question, trying both can reveal different useful material.

Open a result: use the prominent page-and-transcription link to see the metadata, PDF, and full transcription. Keyword-search terms are highlighted in the transcription.

Archives Collections Database (ArchivesSpace): the Collection, Item/Folder, and Digital Object links open the corresponding archival records. Collection-level dates describe the collection as a whole, not necessarily the specific item or page.

If a PDF does not load: on the detail page, use the Digital Object link, click “Go to file” in ArchivesSpace, and navigate to the page number shown here.

Current limitations
  • Automated transcriptions can contain missing or incorrect text or unintended repetition. Difficult handwriting, image quality, unusual layouts, and multiple languages can reduce accuracy. Always consult the original page image when an exact reading matters.
  • Semantic search remains experimental. Its rankings are an additional discovery aid, not a complete or definitive set of relevant results, and highly ranked pages can sometimes be only broadly related.
  • This is an active prototype. Search coverage, transcriptions, functionality, and the interface may continue to change as additional archival material is processed and the system is improved.

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Page 31 · DO #94 · 204_Popenoe_Bx7FF91r

Collection
Wilson Popenoe (1892–1975) family papers
Item/Folder
General Correspondence - F (Falla A., Pedro Salvador to Fuller, Walter P.), 22 March 1911 –5 November 1973, n.d.
Digital Object
DO #94, page 31
Collection-level dates
1882–1975
Open PDF at page 31 ↗

Page transcription

Reprinted without change in paging from the 1967 Journal of the
Rio Grande Valley Horticultural Society, Volume 21

Sidegrafting of Succulent Grapevine Tips onto
Established Vines
C. O. FOERSTER, Jr.

Plant breeders are constantly searching for new techniques that can
be used to bring seedlings or controlled crosses into production as soon
as possible. This is especially true with grape breeders because depending
upon the vigor of the seedling it may take two or more years to grow
the plant large enough for fruit production.

The technique of side grafting succulent tips of grape seedlings
onto canes of established vines resulted in cane growth of the grafts up
to 30 feet in length in one season. Fruit production was obtained the
next year after making the graft.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Grape seed was planted in rows in February. In seventy days the
seedlings were about 2½ inches tall and had 6 true leaves. The succu-
lent tips were cut from the seedlings leaving two cotyledon leaves and
one secondary leaf. The leaves were left so that the seedlings could pro-
duce a new top in case the graft died.

The grafts were prepared for insertion into the rootstock by making
a long tapered cut on one side of the basal end of the scion. The base
of the sloping cut ended in a feathered point.

The succulent tips were than side-grafted onto established plants
with a diameter of ¼ inch or larger. A "T" shaped incision was made
on the stock into the cambium layer with a sharp knife. The flaps of
the bark were held back and the scion was carefully inserted into the
opening with the pointed end down. Care was used in inserting the
scion so that the entire cut surface of the graft wood was in contact
with the cambium layer of the rootstock.

The scion and graft union then was wrapped with clear polyethy-
lene tape. When wrapping the tape, a slight pressure should be applied
so that the tape is tight enough to hold the scion firmly in place and
exclude air from all cut surfaces.

Covering the graft union and scion with polyethylene tape created
a micro-climate of even high humidity and temperature. This type mi-
croclimate facilitated rapid healing of the graft union.

The wrappings were left on the grafts from 14 to 21 days. When the
tape was removed care was exercised so that the tender leaves of the
tips were gradually exposed to the air. Gradual removal of the plastic
is particularly important if the weather is hot and dry.

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