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 58 · DO #1163 · 27_Morrison_Bx7FF7r

Collection
Benjamin Yoe Morrison (1891–1966) papers
Item/Folder
"Report on Agricultural Survey of Peru", 1941
Digital Object
DO #1163, page 58
Collection-level dates
1915–1965, n.d.
Open PDF at page 58 ↗

Page transcription

though this is not as general as it might be and offers some possibilities for cooperation to be discussed elsewhere. There are also a number of distinguished Peruvian workers in the scientific branches of agriculture, whose papers need no new commendations here.

The fact remains that there is a gulf between the two extremes.

If it is true that the advanced industries can and do take care of their own management and upkeep, adopting and adapting whatever improved material, machines or methods may become available, it might seem reasonable to infer that government work for a period might well be turned to those phases of national life and instruction which would raise the level of general agriculture, a program that is not as slight as it may appear.

4. The suggestion made by all persons who honored the writer by direct answers to questions, was that the government of the United States find some way to work with Peru, furnishing "money and men." No suggestions were ever made as to amounts or numbers, nor as to procedures. This point touches upon the proposals for Tingo Maria, discussed elsewhere. It impinges also upon education or training for special workers. In the opinion of many, this should take the form of graduate work for Peruvian students sent to the United States and the long-time residence and work of North American scientists in Peru, with whatever opportunities there may be for joint work on Peruvian problems in Peru.

Whether or not it would be possible to create within Peru small units in various sections of the country where American workers could remain in residence, assisted by Peruvian student aides, was not discussed.

5. The interchange of agricultural plant material seems extremely important. There is already established within the Bureau of Plant Industry a Division of Plant Exploration and Introduction which has for over thirty years served as a center for this type of exchange, acting as a clearing house from our own scientific workers and from workers resident outside the United States. A reasonable interchange has already existed with Peru but the writer brings back an extended list of materials desired, which will be filled as rapidly as possible.

Proposals

There are various projects which might be carried out in Peru for our mutual advantage. None of these was discussed as such in Peru.

1. Botanical Survey. Taking as a basis the imposing "Flora of Peru" by Dr. J. Francis McBride of the Field Museum, Chicago, it would seem desirable to recast the material according to localities, so that basic studies could be made particularly in relation to forage and pasture studies. As far as has been discovered there are no population studies of existing pastures or native forage associations, although at present there are forage problems in almost all parts of Peru, intimately associated in most cases, either with milk production programs or meat-producing programs.