10 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



fill illustrations, and a variety of matter upon popular topics. And again, the 

 Annual Fair is a season for showing off, — a week of financial prosperity, a big 

 show with lots of people to see it, and a fat society pocket-book, are all taken 

 as tbe main objects in view, and when all these are consummated, we settle back 

 in our society chairs with great satisfaction and sav, "Haven't we done won- 

 ders ! " 



It is to this last branch of our Society work I wish to call your attention. It 

 has been suggested to me when I have advocated innovations in our system of 

 exhibiting horticultural products so as to be more educational, that it was a 

 good thing to have in view, but we must be seen and have a good show anyway 

 or our bottom would tumble out. 



I appreciate this necessity of looking sharply at our finances in order to 

 secure a healthy longevity, and that we may command influence. But it seems 

 to me that while seeking for the most knowledge we must employ the same 

 means that will insure a good condition of finances: 



1st. In both cases we must have a good show. 



2d. "We must secure such an arrangement that the entries shall stand out by 

 themselves for comparison and appearance. This is necessary from either 

 standpoint. 



3d. There should be an intelligent, well- arranged plan, so that friction and 

 confusion shall be avoided, so that he who comes to learn, equally with tbe one 

 who comes to show, shall have ample opportunities without provocation. 



It is easy to see when looking at tbe matter cautiously, that tbe most 

 appropriate and satisfactory system that shall subserve a healthy financial con- 

 dition, will also be just the one to secure the highest educational advancement. 

 To be sure, there may be some difficulty in uniting upon a definition of a good 

 show ; and still when we look carefully upon the attributes of a good cxhibi- 

 bition as viewed from the standpoint of all classes of observers, we find that 

 there are a great many things in common. A very creditable show might be 

 made of Baldwin apples alone, giving all the variations in form and color of 

 this type. It would be beautiful, attractive, and withal a novelty; or we might 

 make a show of monstrosities in the fruit line that would not lack novelty, and 

 if not beautiful would attract notice. Or again, fruit might be arranged 

 wholly with regard to color, taking no account of names, and be a wonderful 

 triumph in its way. And still all of these would be very unsatisfactory exhibi- 

 tions of a pomological association, Even the young man and maiden who pass 

 through the hall hand in hand, thinking more of this last fact than of the 

 fruit, would pass severe criticism upon it, and the student of pomology would 

 find not even a crumb of satisfaction. The little girl when questioned as to the 

 relative merits of her cat and doll and her opinion of them, invariably gives the 

 preference to the cat because there is life in it. The doll may be never so 

 beautiful, and the cat never so plain, yet the principle of life takes the prefer- 

 ence. .So in an exhibition it is not color and form that have the greatest 

 attraction for any one, it is these attributes simply as connected with some sys- 

 tem or plan indicating mind. The show is only really valuable as an exhibition 

 of mind. 



This much for generalities. When we come to make an exhibition in detail 

 we may find many obstacles in the way of the consummation of our ideal, but they 

 would be all dissipated at once if tbe matter of individual selfishness on the part 

 of the exhibitors could bo blotted out. 



!N'ow with the experience of past exhibitions let us take up the premium list, 



