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.

← Back to results

Page 3 · DO #241 · 204_Popenoe_Bx14FF240r

Collection
Wilson Popenoe (1892–1975) family papers
Item/Folder
Pennock, William, 4 December 1940 –21 August 1941
Digital Object
DO #241, page 3
Collection-level dates
1882–1975
Open PDF at page 3 ↗

Page transcription

(2)
Memorandum Re- Research Program for Experimental Plantations :

6th. Establishing comparable plantings at different altitudes :
Although we now have three plantings at El Naranjo at different altitudes (roughly at 4, 5 and 6,000 feet), we do not know the altitude limits for growing Cinchona in Guatemala. It is desirable to extend our experimental limits to include from 3,000 to 7,000 feet and to make the plantings strictly comparable as to plant material used, time of planting, etc. Since this is a long term proposition an early start is in order.

PROGRAM FOR COMBATING RED MOTTLING

This problem is to be approached in two ways : (1) by trying to save valuable trees by more or less hit or miss methods, and (2) by a systematic study of the fundamental problem in an effort to determine the exact cause of the trouble. "Hit or miss" methods include such practices as applications of chemical fertilizers; much of which already has been done; applications of Peruvian guano, and mulching with Inga leaves. The systematic approach will consist primarily of painting the leaves with single mineral salts and similar nutrient deficiency diagnoses. In view of the prolonged dry season which is beginning at this time, additional applications of fertilizers can not be expected to do much good in overcoming red-mottling. Applications of chemical fertilizers, particularly those containing phosphorus, seem to some extent to have increased the vigor of the treated trees. Therefore, in spite of the dry season it would seem wise to apply phosphoric fertilizer to valuable trees which have not as yet received any, like those in the Zapote Finca. However, in the case of trees which have already received two doses of it, the addition of guano, which will increase the moisture retaining capacity of the soil, and mulching with Inga leaves would seem to be indicated. It is hoped the latter will help carry weakening trees through the dry season and save them until better treatments are devised.

PROGRAM FOR SEED-BED AND NURSERY PRACTICE

Small-scale experiments will be undertaken immediately. Since the season of year greatly affects results obtained in nurseries, experiments of this sort will have to be carried out with a view towards developing methods suitable to the different times of year and developing a calendar of seed beds and nursery practice. The tentative program in mind at this time includes the following : lst., the construction of seed beds in strict accordance with the recommendations of Stoffels; 2nd., the use of sphagnum moss in seed beds; 3rd., the addition of dilute nutrient solutions to both seed beds and nurseries; 4th., the use of cloth covering as shade and protection from drip in nursery practice; - 5th., the use of natural shade for nurseries during the dry season, and oth., disinfecting both seed and seed-beds-soil.

PROGRAM FOR GRAFTING INVESTIGATIONS

The tentative program is as follows : 1st., Approach grafting in an effort to save trees suffering from disease; 2nd., the use of shield-grafting or budding in an effort to make best use of small amounts of budding material; 3rd., control experiments in the grafting of scions suspected of being diseased; 4th., experiments designed to develop a calendar for grafting, and 5th., grafting under shade in dry season; 6th, grafting higher on rootstocks to avoid "rosellinia" infection.

PROGRAM FOR COMBATING FUNGUS DISEASES
see page No. 3